Obviously, I'm doing it wrong. Whenever I issue an order, my kids roll their eyes and tell me to take "a chillaxative."

At the end of our journey, when we look back, the currency of achievement will no longer buy us solace. The greater accomplishment will be to over the years have built a foundation of family, friendship, altruism, kindness, compassion and love.

Giving our children freedom doesn't inevitably lead to failure, nor does it inevitably lead to abduction. We can still set our children down the right path, but first, we must unleash them.

I find that there is a great and unnecessary hype around the difference between the "Western" and the "Eastern" way of raising children.

Is there room for two strong-minded parents with two different styles of parenting? What is the quality of the parents' relationships and how do they affect the young eyes watching?

I respect Amy Chua for being honest in her memoir, and am glad that she's able to reflect on some of her parenting decisions with candor and even remorse. The conversation her book has precipitated is a crucial one.

Where does Chua's book address the ethical self? How is she teaching her children to deal with other people? Have we missed something vital in defining success in child rearing?