Teaching kids gently
Students discuss whether it is right for strangers to educate others' kids.
Recently, during a flight, a toddler (刚学走路的小孩) kept crying, and two strangers took her to the bathroom and locked her in there for "education". This led to a heated discussion. Examples like South Korea's "no-kids zones (区域)" and reminders (提示语) for parents on high-speed trains show how the public reacts to crying children. How do you feel about strangers "educating" noisy young children?
I think it's not OK for strangers to educate the children of others. Sometimes, children can be naughty and might shout in public. This can be annoying and make us want to step in. But from the child's point of view, a stranger stepping in and shouting at them can be scary. It can also hurt children's feelings. Parents can also feel stressed when their children disturb (打扰) other passengers, but they might not know what to do. Sometimes children cry to draw others' attention because they can't express their needs well. So as strangers, it's best to kindly remind parents to look after their kids and check if they are hungry or unwell.
Cui Luoyao, 14, Beijing
Instead of strangers, parents should be the ones teaching their children how to behave properly. I believe many passengers "dislike children" not because of the children's behavior, but because they really can't stand their parents' attitude. As children grow up, it is normal for them to make mistakes and disturb others without meaning to because they are too small to understand so much information. What is really scary is that parents turn a blind eye to their children's mistakes, use "he is just a kid" as an excuse and force others to tolerate (容忍) their children. If a child really does something that disturbs others, then the parents should say sorry and solve the problem.
He Liyan, 14, Jiangsu
