Life lesson: China father encourages young son to study by making him sell food outdoors in harsh weather, triggers parenting debate online
- Dedicated dad makes young son work on food stall in freezing conditions
- Passers-by join in educational exercise by not patronising business
A father in China who took his son to work on a street stall in freezing weather to show him how difficult it is to earn money and encourage him to study harder has sparked a lively discussion on mainland social media.
The duo were captured on video selling local products in Shenyang, Liaoning province, northeastern China by a passerby, who shared the clip on BaiLu Video on December 23.
In the viral clip the boy, clad in a thick down jacket, is seen standing obediently by the stall, selling packaged sunflower seeds, sweet corn and other specialties.
A sign on the stall read: “I lack confidence in my studies, so I’ve come out to do business and earn living expenses. Please support me, uncles and aunties. Thank you so much.”
This attracted the attention of a woman, surnamed Ge, who recorded the clip and shared it on BaiLu Video.
“It must have been below minus 10 degrees that day, extremely cold. The child was quite resilient, just standing there watching the stall. His father stood by silently, observing alongside the boy,” said Ge.
However, despite the boy’s desire to do business, many pedestrians, understanding the father’s educational intention, deliberately chose not to buy.
“The child was very well-behaved, hoping people would support his stall. But most passers-by likely wanted him to learn that making money isn’t easy, so they just watched from a distance,” Ge added.
After the video went viral on social media, the father’s stern approach to parenting stirred a thoughtful online discussion.
One person said: “Passers-by should ask the price, then negotiate, but end up not buying! That would be a more vivid lesson.”
“Not patronising his stall actually benefits the boy, teaching him that money isn’t as easy to earn as he might think,” said another.
“Let him experience life’s challenges, then return to study hard!” said a third.
Chinese culture often embraces strict parenting to instill discipline and academic excellence in children, with the long-term goal of ensuring their success in life.
In May, a seven-year-old boy from Fujian province in southeastern China who was resisting pressure to attend kindergarten was sent by his mother to their family’s candle factory.
After a single exhausting 8am to 6pm shift, he quickly grasped the nature of physical labour and decided to return to school.
In September, another young girl from the same province expressed her reluctance to attend school, proposing rubbish collection as an alternative.
Her parents agreed, but she was overwhelmed by the working conditions and ended up vomiting at a rubbish dump.
