Prof Van Nhu Cuong, a renowned educator, president of Luong The Vinh High School, a people-founded school in Hanoi,  related this story about parents of students at his school.

“A lot of parents cried because they had to stay away from the children, though it was just for one week and the military camp was not far from Hanoi,” Cuong said. “They acted as if their children had to go to unwholesome environment.”

As planned, students had to gather at the school in the morning from which they took a coach to the military camp. In the afternoon, parents flocked to the site to visit the children, as if they were apart for a long time.

When visiting the camp, parents brought a lot of food and drink. They feared other people would deprive their children of food and thought that their children would have to work hard as if they were in re-education camp.

Parents traveled 40 kilometers to the camp where their high school-aged children recently received military training to bring food and drink, because they thought they might suffer from a poor diet.

In fact, the food at the military camp was good and nutritious, and the school asked parents not to bring food. 

“A parent told me that her child was used to drinking imported water and she had to bring water to the camp because the boy could not drink Vietnam-made water,” Cuong said.

The educator commented that while many parents tend to neglect their children because they are too busy with work, others tend to be too caring. Though Cuong agrees that it is necessary to take care of children, he doesn’t think this parenting method is reasonable. 

“The concern of parents is unnecessary and excessive,” he said.

Cuong believes that the military training course will be useful to his students because it helps instill independence and integrity.

“Students had to practice simple exercises and stay away from home for only one week. But parents suffered from constant anxiety. I believe this is the worst method of taking care of children,” Cuong said.

“It won’t help children gain success in the future, but will make them more dependent on parents,” he said. 

Many Vietnamese parents in urban areas overindulge children, causing them to be dependent and to lack creativity. They tend to do all things for their children and protect children in unreasonable ways. 

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