Love, Mercy and Discipline

Amy Chua made many parents cringe with her 2011 book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Coincidentally, Dr. Li's wife was also born in the Year of the Tiger. Despite sharing some of Amy Chua's parenting philosophies, the author and his wife understand that extreme, harsh parenting does not guarantee independent thinkers, inventors, or self-starters. They wanted their children to assimilate to American culture while still preserving their Chinese heritage. This memoir, written in Chinese, tells stories about how the author's two children were raised with love, mercy, and discipline; how they have explored their interests and hobbies without excessive parental interference; and how they have been coping with pressure, competition, successes, and failures in progressing toward adulthood.Part one of this book tells stories about the developmental milestones of the author's son. Born in China, he was brought to Birmingham, United Kingdom at age 5, and then to Alabama, United States at age 8. In his early years, he developed a passion for math and music, and excelled in both disciplines. After his high school graduation, the author's son enrolled at MIT, where he also discovered a passion for sports and became a member of the MIT sailing team. After graduating from MIT with a BS in Math and Economics, he joined Citigroup in New York City immediately preceding the subprime mortgage crisis. During the recession, he was able to overcome the added stresses and worked his way to become a senior trader and director at Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.Part two of this book is about author's daughter. Born in Alabama, she tried ballet and gymnastics, and finally found her passion in figure skating and piano performance. Influenced by her brother (the so-called "sibling spillover effect"), she was determined to do well both in school and extracurricular activities. Winning numerous awards in piano performance and academics, she was also named salutatorian at her high school graduation. Receiving the prestigious Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship, she studied at Vanderbilt University and graduated in 2016 with a BA in Economics and Psychology. She now works for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City.This book contains numerous essays and communication letters, written by the author's two children, for college and internship applications. They were presented in both English and Chinese languages. Enjoy reading.