The parents of an eight-year-old boy in Shaanxi province, China, have received widespread praise for their innovative parenting style after their son busked on the streets to earn money for repairing school property he had damaged. On May 17, the boy played the guitar and sang outside to raise funds. A sign on his music stand explained his mission: “I damaged the school wall and need to earn 300 yuan (US$42) for compensation.”
The boy’s father, surnamed Huang, explained to White Deer Video, a local media outlet, that his son had doodled on a wall under renovation at his primary school. After discussing the incident with the school, they agreed on a compensation amount. Huang shared, “We hope that through street performance, he can learn to take responsibility.” Over three days, performing for an hour each day, the boy managed to earn the required amount.
This approach to teaching responsibility garnered much praise on mainland social media. One user on Weibo commented, “Thumbs up for this teaching method that encourages the son to pay for his behaviour.” Another added, “Street performance could also boost the boy’s confidence and improve his guitar skills. It’s truly a win-win strategy.” Innovative parenting styles like this often attract attention in China, especially compared to more traditional strict methods.
In another instance of creative parenting, a mother with a PhD used ChatGPT to comfort her five-year-old son, nicknamed Twelve, who was upset after falling off his skateboard and being laughed at by other parents. The chatbot, instructed by the mother to empathize with her son, provided a comforting and objective perspective in Mandarin. The chatbot’s response included, “First, they have gone too far. How can they treat a kid like this? Second, it is so irritating to see something like this happen. Third, laughing at a fallen child is such a lack of sympathy.” Twelve was immediately comforted by the chatbot’s words.
Another example occurred in August last year in Jiangsu province. A boy nicknamed Guoguo was taken to the police station by his mother for being rude. After a discussion with the officers, Guoguo promised to refrain from using foul language and to learn to respect others.
These instances highlight the effectiveness of non-traditional parenting methods in teaching children important life lessons. By encouraging their son to busk for compensation, Huang and his wife not only taught responsibility but also boosted their child’s confidence and skills. Similarly, the use of a chatbot to provide an objective perspective and involving police officers in discipline demonstrate the benefits of innovative approaches to parenting.
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