Youngster brings baby sister to school because mother is busy working. Video shows child writing with one hand, feeding infant with the other. — SCMP
Video of a 10-year-old girl in Thailand taking notes in class while feeding her baby sister a bottle of milk has tugged on the heartstrings of millions in the country.
On May 20, a primary school teacher posted a video on TikTok showing the youngster attending class while caring for her one-year-old sibling.
Footage shows the student writing with one hand while holding her younger sister and feeding her milk from a bottle with the other.
The girl, from Prachin Buri province in central Thailand, brought the baby to school because their mother was busy working and unable to care for her, according to the Thai media outlet The Thaiger.
The teacher said she encouraged her students to never miss a class, no matter the circumstances.
“Your mother was busy, so you brought your sister to class. Well done, you did it,” she told the youngster.
The video has attracted 2.2 million views and prompted an emotional response from people on social media.
“This girl has incredible multitasking skills. To be able to take care of her sister and continue with her studies as well,” one person said on TikTok.
“When she grows up, her little sister will be proud to have such a great role model,” said another.
Such heartwarming stories are not unique to Thailand.
Many children around the world demonstrate similar levels of maturity.
A Malaysian boy called Wan has been working as a rubbish collector for nearly three years. Six years ago, at the age of 14, he dropped out of school to take on full-time work to support his family.
He and his sister are the main breadwinners in their family, which includes their mother and three younger siblings aged from eight to 13, according to Must Share News, a Singaporean media outlet.
Wan said he is a son who must be strong enough to shoulder the responsibilities of a father.
In December last year, a 10-year-old boy in China took part in a parent-child sports event at school for his six-year-old sister. He attended in place of their late father, who had died of leukaemia two years previously.
The boy’s mother, surnamed Xu, said her son had tried very hard at the sports event to help his sister win the competition.
“You have a dad, I have a brother,” the sister told her classmates proudly, moving observers on mainland social media.
In the same month, after the 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Gansu province in northwestern China, a 10-year-old girl queued for relief meals for her three-year-old brother in sub-zero temperatures and fed him before she ate. – South China Morning Post
