I think it becomes too much when it causes massive neglect of other portions of the parents' and child's life. The Korean ice skater's mom ignored her other daughters' ambitions, missed her graduation, and neglected her husband. It also is too much when the probability of professional success is remote (my problem with the way a lot of parents treat kids sports). As Bob Cook points, it is highly probably that your kid's not going pro. Also, one has to think about how we define success – master in one area, whether academic or athletic, while ignoring all other aspects of life is not success.

I think it is fair that parents get some credit for success – I know from experience that it can be expensive and exhausting enrolling and getting your kids to practice and other activities. Getting all the credit is unfair, though. I also don't have a problem with parents living a bit vicariously through their kids, especially when they have never had the same kind opportunity themselves. But pushing to the point where the kids start to hate it and the goal is no longer the child's but the parent's, that too far.

I think it becomes too much when it causes massive neglect of other portions of the parents' and child's life. The Korean ice skater's mom ignored her other daughters' ambitions, missed her graduation, and neglected her husband. It also is too much when the probability of professional success is remote (my problem with the way a lot of parents treat kids sports). As Bob Cook points, it is highly probably that your kid's not going pro/A>. Also, one has to think about how we define success – master in one area, whether academic or athletic, while ignoring all other aspects of life is not success.

I think it is fair that parents get some credit for success – I know from experience that it can be expensive and exhausting enrolling and getting your kids to practice and other activities. Getting all the credit is unfair, though. I also don't have a problem with parents living a bit vicariously through their kids, especially when they have never had the same kind opportunity themselves. But pushing to the point where the kids start to hate it and the goal is no longer the child's but the parent's, that too far.

So for Asians it might be academics/sciences/math, for some it's football/basketball.