I'd rather my kids feel loved than have straight A's

I watched this interview today with 'Tiger mother' Amy Chua and had a lot of conflicting reactions.

On one hand, I admired her strictness and felt a little guilty for only making my kids do 20 minutes of homework last night before letting them toss it aside to play "Crocodile Kingdom," a game that was invented via giggly chatter on the way home from school.

But then I gave myself a mental slap. My kids had fun doing their homework together and then continued that fun by chasing each other around the house with light sabers (how this relates to the game title, "Crocodile Kingdom," is beyond me). Aren't kids supposed to have fun? I would LOVE to be able to run around the house laughing, not noticing the massive dog hairballs rolling like tumbleweed around me, or the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, or the calendar on the fridge reminding me of the 251 things I have to do this week, or the fact that I am out of breath and should really get on the treadmill more than twice a month.

And rejecting cards your kids made for you because they were too plain? I have about 6 Tupperware totes full of pieces of construction paper with little more than a spit stain on them that I will never, ever have the heart to throw away. If my kids don't do their best on something, be it homework or wiping their own ass, I tell them to do a better job next time. Never would I imply that I don't love them. Well, maybe I do a little with Zach because every night his (adorable tiny) boxer briefs have skid marks in them. But then I remind myself he is 5. And male.

So screw Amy Chua. And thank you to Amy Chua, because I always thought you couldn't get much more anal retentive than me.