Parents pay for children to dig potatoes, chop wood to experience 'hardship'

Many parents send children to rural summer camps to dig potatoes, chop wood, and feed pigs, hoping they become less unruly and appreciate manual labor.

This summer, "tough training summer camps" are gaining popularity across China. Many parents are spending 5,000-10,000 yuan (approximately 19-38 million dong) to send their children to rural areas for 10 days to a month, allowing them to directly experience rustic life, SCMP reports.

Spots are limited, with many families queuing to register, Cover News states. One parent explained they sent their son to a camp because he "was too unruly and needed to experience some hardship in the mountains". Others aim for their children to overcome computer and phone addiction and develop self-care skills.

Children perform daily farming chores, such as digging and selling potatoes, peeling bark, chopping wood, and feeding livestock. Strict rules apply: incomplete tasks can result in punishments, like being restricted to boiled potatoes for meals. Phones are confiscated, and essential supplies are provided based on work completed.

Camp organizers state the core goal is to help children correct bad habits, foster gratitude for family, and appreciate hard work and money. They assure parents that tasks are not overly strenuous.

However, videos circulating on social media show many children crying and begging their parents to take them home.

'As long as I don't have to do farm work, I'll do anything', one child reportedly said.

Mr. Gao from Sichuan province expressed surprise that his middle school daughter enjoyed farm work, despite her constant complaints. Another parent in Shanghai was pleased after her 7-year-old daughter's 10-day camp, noting her child had "stepped out of her comfort zone and experienced a completely different lifestyle".

Videos of the camps have garnered significant attention, sparking lively debate. Some observers contend that the children's experiences accurately reflect the hardships their generation faced.

'We wanted to give our children a better life, but we inadvertently spoiled them. Perhaps experiencing hardship is necessary for children to appreciate their current comfortable life', one commenter wrote.

Others have raised concerns, warning that many children are accustomed solely to urban life and academics.

'Overexertion could negatively impact children's physical and mental development', another individual stated.

According to World Journal, education experts suggest that children's phone addiction and procrastination often stem from long-term inappropriate parenting and a lack of parent-child communication. They argue that these deep-seated issues cannot be fully resolved by short-term, high-intensity labor alone.

Experts believe children's displays of "remorse" are largely temporary reactions driven by fear, not genuine cognitive changes. They warn that once back in their familiar environment, children are prone to reverting to old behaviors.