Poignant notes which a group of primary school students left in a “worry box” created by their teacher have moved many online and sparked social media to reflect on common family problems in China.
The teacher from central China’s Shanxi province, surnamed Bai, set up the box to allow her Primary Five students to write down their worries anonymously, as a way to “let go of anxiety and prevent greater damage”, Qingdao Traffic Radio reported on April 8.
While many people on social media applauded the teacher’s thoughtful gesture as concerns grow about youth suicide, they also discovered that common family problems, such as parents fighting and parental separation, were behind the pupils’ notes.
One child wrote: “My parents always fight over money.”
Another child wrote: “My mum and dad had a fight. They decided to divorce each other and fought a lot to get custody of my 3-year-old brother. Dad won custody, and mum cried all day long because of this.
“I kept thinking every day, ‘Why couldn’t dad let mum keep my brother? Why didn’t my brother choose mum?’”
“My parents work in another city and don’t come back often,” wrote a third, “my family is poor and I’m afraid of doing things wrong.”
Another complained about parents always giving pressure: “My parents push me a lot about my study and often go through my stuff. I have no privacy at all.”
A girl wrote about wanting to go to one of the best middle schools in her city only to be told by adults to give up: “It’s already the 21st century, why do people still prefer boys to girls? Are boys the only ones who can succeed in their careers?”
Of more than a dozen notes Bai posted on Douyin, one stood out as “the happiest of all.” It read: “Dear teacher, you annoyed me running your classes overtime so often.”
One social media observer said: “Most of these worries are either about their parents or educational performance. I wonder when kids in China will be able to grow up happily and healthily.”
“I hope Chinese parents read these notes and learn how to be good parents,” said another.
Bai said the secret notes, which she posted online with her students’ consent, made her realise how difficult parenting and education are.
She said she had shown the notes to the students’ parents, some of whom gave their kids a “heartwarming surprise” after seeing what they had written.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services.
In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.