‘I have no awards, don’t get mad’: China schoolgirl leaves ‘thoughtful’ note for mother at parent-teacher meeting, wins online support
- Note shows ‘courage and thoughtfulness’, says teacher
- Smiley-face video viewed more than 4 million times
People on social media in China have applauded and encouraged a secondary schoolgirl who left a note for her mother at a parent-teacher meeting asking her not to be angry because she had not won any awards.
A video taken by a teacher shows the girl’s mother sitting at her daughter’s classroom desk during the meeting.
On the desk her daughter had left a note that read: “I have no awards. Don’t get mad” with a smiley face.
The teacher, from central China’s Henan province, posted the video on her Douyin account @Yikuaihongbu on November 22, and it has been viewed more than 4 million times.
Under the video, the teacher said: “Not everyone can win an award. Your mum will be happy as long as you work hard.” She explained that awards were given to students with the best grades in the most recent exams.
She added that the note was evidence of the teenager’s growth and showed her courage in acknowledging her failure and her thoughtfulness in comforting her mother.
Many online observers agreed with the teacher’s comment and praised the girl for her positive and considerate gesture.
“Failing at exams doesn’t mean failing in life. No awards does not mean no path for the future,” said one person on Douyin.
“Her note is more worthwhile than an award,” said another.
“The reason I sent my kid to school was not to push her to succeed. I just wanted her to have more life choices,” a mother commented.
Students in China often face intense academic pressure because education is widely believed to be the only route to success for ordinary people.
The phenomenon of parents pushing their children hard to achieve the best academic results is so prevalent that a phrase, ji wa, or “chicken blood” parenting, was coined to describe it.
The term originated from an unconventional Chinese medical procedure that emerged in the 1950s. It involved injecting individuals with fresh chicken blood as a means of boosting their vitality. Over time, the term has evolved to describe the phenomenon of overzealous and aggressive parenting.
For many online observers, stories that feature encouragement from understanding parents and teachers have become a respite from the pressure of their own stressful lives.
Earlier this month, a father from eastern China’s Shandong province gave a much-applauded school speech praising his son, who he said “will have a bright future despite having bad grades.”
In 2021, a primary school teacher from northeastern China’s Jilin province gave a “most expected little star” award to a boy with mediocre grades, moving the boy, and many people online, to tears.
