China teenager pleads with father to be better husband after dispute with mother, video ignites family harmony dialogues

A teenage boy gained widespread attention on social media in China after sharing a heartfelt video pleading with his father to treat his mother with more kindness, following a heated marital disagreement that led to his father leaving their home.

Wang Nanhao, 15, from Zhejiang province in eastern China, is a junior high student. On April 27, 20 days after his father left home, he posted the video on Douyin, China’s TikTok, pleading for his father to be a better husband.

In the video, Wang expressed that the frequent arguments between his parents over the years had caused him significant psychological trauma, and he had started to read psychology books to learn how to heal.

Wang said the books had taught him that the secret to a happy family was open communication, which he said his family lacked.

“Over the past decade, every time my parents argued, my dad would slam the door and leave home. But the next morning, my mum would always make breakfast for me with her eyes red from crying,” he said.

He often tried to cheer up his mother after their arguments, temporarily bringing peace to the home.

“But dad, showing love to your wife is your responsibility as a husband,” Wang told his father in the video.

Wang leaned on the traditional values of the nuclear family and said: “In a healthy family dynamic, the husband is seen as a provider and supporter for his wife, while the wife nurtures and cares for the children.

“This nurturing environment fosters a reciprocal flow of love, with the wife and children showing love and appreciation to the husband.

“My birth should have brought you more happiness, and the marital relationship should be more important than the parent-child relationship.”

The boy’s video received one million likes on Douyin and sparked a heated discussion on mainland social media.

“I’ve lived for over 30 years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a teenage boy who can truly empathise with women,” said one online observer on Weibo.

Another added: “Children from families with poor parental relationships often grow up not wanting to marry.”

Last year, the number of newly married couples in China increased to 7.68 million, ending a nine-year streak of declining marriage registrations, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Independent demographer He Yafu noted in a Weibo post that last year’s increase in marriage registrations was primarily due to young couples finally getting their marriage certificates after China’s Covid-19 restrictions caused significant bureaucratic backlogs.

The official data also showed that 2.59 million couples registered for divorce last year, up from 2.1 million the previous year.

In January 2021, China implemented a “cooling-off period” for divorces.

After applying for divorce registration, couples must undergo a 30-day cooling-off and reflection period, during which either spouse can withdraw the application if they choose not to proceed.

The cooling-off period has gradually shown effectiveness in preventing impulsive and rash divorce since its implementation in 2021, according to Chinese media outlet Jiemian News.

However, it also has created some high-profile incidents of domestic violence, such as the man who was given the death penalty in late April after he killed his wife during the cooling-off period. – South China Morning Post