A mother in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, reportedly attempted suicide by cutting her wrists after her child spent the winter vacation playing on the phone instead of doing homework, despite multiple failed attempts to persuade her.
Zhao, a resident of Yangzhou City, has a daughter who is currently on winter break from school. The child was engrossed in playing on the phone during the vacation and refused to do the assigned winter homework. This led to repeated arguments between Zhao and her child. Despite numerous discussions, the situation did not improve, causing Zhao to become emotionally overwhelmed and resort to self-harm.
Upon receiving a distress call from Zhao’s child, emergency personnel rushed to the scene. They found Zhao in a highly agitated state with a approximately ten-centimeter cut on her wrist, blood flowing out continuously. Fortunately, the cut was not near an artery, and after assessment, it was determined that there was no immediate life-threatening danger.
After an hour of persuasion and communication, Zhao’s emotions gradually stabilized, and she gave up the idea of attempting suicide. Eventually, accompanied by her friend Ms. Pan, Zhao went to the hospital for treatment.
Incidents of conflicts between parents and children over the refusal to complete winter homework have been on the rise during the current winter break in Chinese schools. The news of this incident made it to the top search trend on Baidu on January 23, sparking resonance and discussion among many parents.
Many netizens empathized with the frustration of dealing with children who refuse to do homework. Some admitted to frequently arguing or even physically punishing their children over homework-related issues.
A netizen under the name “Wishing for peace 369” said: “Understand her. Without experiencing hardships oneself, it’s best not to advise others on kindness. She was driven to suicide instead of harming the child or resorting to violence. What more can she do? Since choosing to marry and have children, take a deep breath, raise the child with a Buddhist mindset, stop hurting yourself. Even if you bring the sky down, it won’t change anything. Cheer up, everything will get better.”
Many netizens advised parents facing similar situations to be more open-minded.
A Baidu user with the handle “476db8b” stated: “Children have their own paths. Don’t demand too much of yourself or your child. Give yourself and your child a break. Children will grow up just fine. Best wishes to you all.”
Another netizen under the username “I will start over” commented: “Each has their own fortunes. Why can’t you see things clearly? Each person’s destiny is predetermined. You may think of ways to make their path easier, but at this age, they don’t understand.”
Some netizens questioned why schools assign so much homework over a short winter break of just a few weeks.
“Wenwen is elegant and knowledgeable, Panda” said: “Why does the school have to assign homework during the winter break? The vacation only lasts for a few weeks, nearly half of which are spent doing homework or attending extra classes. It’s like subtracting negatives to make positives. Isn’t it supposed to be a break? Just call it another semester.”
Another netizen, “IT miscellaneous shop,” believed: “Homework is just the trigger. The root cause lies in not seeing hope in life.”