Father makes 3-year-old kid fill bowl with tears as punishment for...

A father from Yulin, in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region of southern China, has sparked widespread criticism after employing an unconventional punishment for his three-year-old daughter, Jiajia. The incident, reported by the South China Morning Post, has ignited a heated debate on parenting methods.

The Unusual Punishment
While making dinner, the father called Jiajia to the dining table, but she was too engrossed in watching television to respond. In a moment of frustration, the father turned off the TV, causing Jiajia to burst into tears. He then handed her an empty bowl and instructed her, "You can watch TV again when your tears fill up this bowl."

The Daughter's Reaction
A video recorded by Jiajia's mother and uploaded to Douyin, a popular short-form video platform in China, shows the young girl attempting to comply with her father's demand. Holding the bowl under her face, she tried to gather her tears, but after ten seconds, she told her parents that her hands were tired and that the task was "impossible." The father then asked her to smile, resulting in a tearful giggle that the parents found amusing.

Social Media Backlash
The video quickly went viral, drawing severe criticism from netizens. Many condemned the father's behavior, calling it inappropriate and harmful. The incident has raised questions about the boundaries of discipline and the psychological impact of such punishments on young children.

Previous Incidents of Controversial Punishments
This is not the first time parenting methods in China have come under scrutiny. In another incident, parents punished their child for not completing homework by forcing him to watch TV all night. They took turns keeping the toddler awake, initially allowing him to enjoy snacks before the exhaustion set in, leading to tears. The child was not permitted to sleep until 5 am.