Description ★★★ Over 30 million cumulative views on the YouTube channel 'Wise Elementary Life' Should you rush in every time trouble arises, or take a step back and watch your child face their own challenges? This decision will shape not only a mother's life, but her child's entire life. "I'm so angry that my child's friend cursed at them!" "My child didn't even do anything wrong, but the teacher yelled and got angry at them!" "All the other kids have already started advanced studies. Shouldn't my child be doing the same?" Mothers' worries about their children's friendships, school life, and academics never seem to end. These kinds of concerns are regularly posted on local mom cafes online. Some comments offer solutions, while others share sympathy from having gone through the same struggles. Yet at the same time, tangled up with various education issues, these mothers get labeled as 'thinking only their own child matters,' 'too sensitive,' or 'overbearing' — and in this era, mothers have become a symbol of sensitivity that no one dares to touch. The author points to this unfortunate reality and examines why mothers have become so anxious and on edge. In an age of a 0.68% birth rate, why do these brave women — who chose to become mothers and willingly take on the labor of raising children — find themselves growing more anxious and sensitive by the day? Why does a woman who was quite steady, mature, and courageous as a member of society suddenly find herself fretting over the smallest things once she becomes a mother? After much reflection, the author concludes that this happens because mothers fail to maintain a healthy distance from their children. As times change rapidly and the forms of education shift, the list of things a mother must manage keeps piling up like a mountain. But in the midst of this breathlessly busy daily life, a mother's role isn't just about cooking meals, grading workbooks, and attending cram school info sessions. The author seeks the answer to how both mother and child can break free from anxiety and walk the path of mature growth — and finds it in redefining 'the role of the mother.' "So that your success becomes my success, but your failure doesn't become my failure." The traces of 192 months, written in tears by mother Lee Eun-kyung What kind of mother is 'Teacher Lee Eun-kyung'? As a former elementary school teacher who is now an active education lecturer, we naturally wonder how she raises her own children. As one of today's most sought-after education experts, she appears on radio shows and talk concerts, and even keeps herself fit through marathon running — she seems to live an elegant, accomplished life. With two children already in high school and middle school, she appears to carry the composure of a seasoned mother. But is that really the whole story? The author's daily life, shared candidly through Instagram, is surprisingly honest and unfiltered, striking a deep chord with mothers everywhere. This is exactly why so many mothers have been waiting for this book. The author has two sons: a high-school-aged first son who excels academically (and keeps his mother's educational fervor burning), and a middle-school-aged second son with a disability who requires ongoing treatment. What sets this book apart from others is that it candidly captures the most difficult and worrisome moments the author has faced while raising both children. In the very first episode, the author dons a bucket hat and sunglasses to secretly follow her middle-school son as he makes his way alone to an off-campus learning activity, just to make sure he arrives safely — a moment that is instantly moving. Even readers who haven't faced the exact same situation will recognize this anxiety, since every mother feels it the moment her child takes a step into the world alone. But once you understand why the author didn't simply hold her son's hand and go with him, or keep him home from class instead, you begin to truly grasp what it means to be a 'gentle observer.' Mother Lee Eun-kyung is busy. Thanks to her son being student council president, she puts on a jacket to attend a school steering committee meeting. Then she rushes straight to the special education classroom after an urgent call from her younger son. She boards a train to Daechi-dong to look into cram schools for her older son, but spends the entire ride on the phone with her younger son's speech and cognitive therapists. And yet, as a 'gentle observer,' the author never allows helping her children to become her entire life. 'So that your success becomes my success, but your failure doesn't become my failure' — while her children spend their difficult hours chasing their own goals, this mother runs toward goals of her own. This book...