"I Will Live According to My Means" - An Elementary Student's Reflection After Being Scolded for Nagging for an iPhone

Increasing Preference for iPhones Among Teens
"Bought a Used iPhone 12 Mini"

Among teenagers, the preference for iPhones is becoming prominent, and the number of elementary school students using iPhones is increasing. In this context, a reflection letter written by an elementary school student who was scolded after asking their parents to buy an iPhone has become a hot topic.

Recently, a post was uploaded on an online community. The writer, who identified themselves as a parent of a 6th-grade elementary school daughter, shared the story of scolding their daughter who wanted an iPhone, saying "Raising children is difficult."

A reflection essay written by a 6th-grade elementary school student who got scolded for persistently asking to buy an iPhone.
[Photo by Online Community]

The writer explained the reasons to their daughter and tried to persuade her by saying, "I will buy you a Galaxy," but the daughter went to her bed and started crying. Seeing this, the writer asked the child to write a reflection letter.

While the writer was calming down, the daughter wrote the reflection letter. In it, she wrote, "I am sorry for constantly comparing myself to others. I will live without comparing myself to others," and "I am sorry for living beyond our means. I will live according to our means."

After reading it, the writer said, "I felt miserable and also sorry because my first child had never used a cellphone before," adding, "I regretted losing my temper emotionally. My side business wasn’t going well, and loan interest rates had risen a lot, so we were in a difficult financial situation."

They continued, "I think I gave my daughter an unforgettable wound in her heart," and "While scolding her, I said 'You have to buy things according to your means,' and she wrote exactly that in the reflection letter. Seeing her promise to live according to our means made me feel a pang of guilt. I hope to live better."

The writer said, "It seems almost all her friends use iPhones," and "Just like North Face padding jackets used to be a trend, iPhones have become that kind of atmosphere. In the end, I bought her a used iPhone 12 Mini."

Netizens responded, "This is true education. It gave the child an important lesson in life," and "The child is kind. It’s admirable to see her realize and write such a reflection letter on her own."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.