Father Who Made His 8-Year-Old Son Busk for Money... Why He Received Praise Instead of Criticism

"I Wanted to Teach Responsibility Through Street Performances"

A Chinese parenting method has become a hot topic after parents made their elementary school son, who damaged a school wall, earn money himself to learn responsibility.

On the 11th (local time), the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that an 8-year-old boy in Shanxi Province, northwest China, busked to repair the elementary school wall he had vandalized. Last month on the 17th, the boy played guitar and sang on a street in Shanxi Province to raise compensation money. He also placed a sign next to him that read, "I damaged the school fence and need to earn 300 yuan (about 56,000 won) as compensation."

The boy’s father told local media, "My son scribbled on the elementary school wall. After consulting with the school, we decided on the compensation," adding, "I hope he learns responsibility through street performance." It was reported that the boy performed for one hour each day over three days to raise the compensation money.

A boy playing the guitar and singing while collecting donations on a street in Shanxi Province, China, along with a notice. [Image source=Weibo]

Local netizens who heard the story praised the boy’s father’s parenting method. On social media (SNS), netizens responded with comments such as, "I give a thumbs up to this educational method that makes the son pay for his actions," and "Street performance can boost the boy’s confidence and improve his guitar skills. A true 'win-win' strategy."

Meanwhile, recently in China, innovative parenting methods have often attracted attention, contrasting with strict and traditional approaches. Last November, a story went viral about a mother with a doctoral degree who comforted her 5-year-old son using the generative AI ChatGPT.

At that time, the son fell while skateboarding at a playground, and the adults around laughed. The boy was upset because the adults laughed mockingly, but the parents could not comfort him. So, his mother asked ChatGPT to criticize them. ChatGPT responded, "How can people treat a child like this? It’s really annoying to see such things happen," adding, "Mocking a child who has fallen is an act lacking compassion." It is reported that the boy felt better after hearing ChatGPT’s words.

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