时间：2022-10-30 11:02:56
中国“狼爸”
“三天一顿打，孩子进北大”，近来，一名将体罚视为家教黄金准则的“狼爸”受到人们广泛的关注，同时引发了社会各界对于棍棒教育对与错的激烈论战。
Xiao Baiyou, 47 years old, recently published a book about his fathering technique, which involves beating his children with a rattan cane when they break his rules. The businessman has drawn criticism.
Businessman says hitting his kids got them into top colleges.
The list of rules in Xiao Baiyou’s house is endless: No Coca Cola while surfing the Internet, no air conditioner even in the summer, no pocket money, and definitely no socializing activities.
His four children are not even allowed to open his refrigerator without getting permission.
The punishment for rule-breaking is more often than not a whack with a rattan cane.
“A father is like a general, and there are rules to obey and punishment to shoulder if they are broken,” said the 47-year-old father. “Nowadays Chinese parents are too soft. They have abandoned the traditional Chinese way of good parenting.”
Xiao was nicknamed “Wolf Dad” in a recently published book. Three of his children are now studying in Peking University, which make him deeply believe his methods are right.
According to Xiao’s opinion, children under 18 are like animals and cannot distinguish right from wrong. “Only through strict means can they be taught,” he said.
He said his eldest son, Xiao Yao, 21, received most of the beating, and each time his three sisters were told to stand and watch.
“The eldest should take the lead,” he added. Xiao Baiyou grew up in Guangzhou and studied finance at Ji’nan University. He later went on to build his wealth through real-estate investments and luxury goods.
He recalls being whipped thousands of times as a child by his mother. He says he is grateful for it.
“Only when you are beaten frequently as a child can you learn discipline and etiquette,” he said. “Bearing the pains helps strengthen your mind, build up your character and develop a strong will.”
The businessman has set an ambitious target of having more than 12 grandsons with postdoctoral degrees. “As the only male in the Xiao family, I feel obliged to cultivate a whole family of masters,” he said. “To beat the kids when they violate the rules is a good method.”
Since releasing his book, which is entitled So, Brothers and Sisters of Peking University, Xiao has come under intense fire from parenting experts, some of whom called him a cruel father.
“Calling punishment the ‘essence of a traditional Chinese education’ is simply twisting the truth,” said Zhu Qiang, an associate professor at Nanjing Normal University.
In response to the criticism, Xiao simply said that history will prove him right.
Although he said he has stopped beating the children now at college, he insisted he will still interfere in their life, especially when it comes to studies and marriage. His three eldest children, aged from 15 to 21, were not even allowed to make friends until they went to college.
“There’s no reason for them to make friends, letting alone go on dates,” Xiao said. “Friends are there to help and be made use of. This is something you cannot understand before you go to university.” He also warned that he will turn away any child or grandchild who turns out to be homosexual, as he fears it will “ruin the reputation of the family”.
Not just experts have been divided by Xiao’s parenting style. Many members of the public have offered praise or criticism.
Liu Shibin, a 48-year-old taxi driver in Tianjin, said he believes the it is too extreme. “You spend a quarter of your life as a child, which is a lot,” said Liu, who has a teenage daughter. “As a parent I hope my child will have happy memories of childhood.”
Xiao, however, denies the idea that his children are not happy, adding that the word “wolf” describes his character perfectly. “Wolves look cold and brutal, yet they have great wisdom and are very tender to their cubs. It’s just like me.”