Parenting Advice from the First Lady of China, Peng Liyuan
Parenting Advice from the first lady of China, Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi Jinping (dubbed as the Chinese Kate Middleton, often compared to Michelle Obama) recently shocked the National Board of Education with her statement about college exam results:
孩子的分数，永远不如教孩子学会感恩、学会做人重要！
Háizi de fēnshù, yǒngyuǎn bùrú jiào hái zǐ xuéhuì gǎn’ēn, xuéhuì zuòrén zhòngyào!
A child’s exam results, is never as important as teaching a child how to be grateful and a good human being!
孩子正确的金钱观，家长如何培养呢？
Háizi zhèngquè de jīnqián guān, jiāzhǎng rúhé péiyǎng ne?
For a child to have a correct perspective on money, how should a parent teach him?
把财富留给孩子，还不如把孩子变成财富！
Bǎ cáifù liú gěi háizi, hái bùrú bǎ háizi biàn chéng cáifù!
Instead of leaving money for the child, isn’t it better to turn the child into wealthy individual?!
所以，留给孩子千万财产，还不如留给他这些：
Suǒyǐ, liú gěi háizi qiān wàn cáichǎn, hái bùrú liú gěi tā zhèxiē:
Therefore instead of leaving your child millions worth in assets, why not leave your child these pearls of wisdom:-
1、孩子，你一定要学会做饭。这与伺候人无关。在爱你的人都不在身边的时候，使你能善待自己。 — — （能独立生存）
Háizi, nǐ yīdìng yào xuéhuì zuò fàn. Zhè yǔ cìhòu rén wúguān. Zài ài nǐ de rén dōu bùzài shēnbiān de shíhòu, shǐ nǐ néng shàndài zìjǐ. — — (Néng dúlì shēngcún)
You must learn how to cook. This has nothing to do with serving others. This is so that when your loved ones are not with you, you can take good care of yourself. (Ability to live independently)
2、孩子，你一定要学会开车。这与身份地位无关。这样在任何时候，你都可以拔腿去往任何你想去的地方，不求任何人。 — — （自由）
Háizi, nǐ yīdìng yào xuéhuì kāichē. Zhè yǔ shēnfèn dìwèi wúguān. Zhèyàng zài rènhé shíhòu, nǐ dōu kěyǐ bátuǐ qù wǎng rènhé nǐ xiǎng qù dì dìfāng, bù qiú rènhé rén. — — (Zìyóu)
You must learn how to drive. This is unrelated to your status in society. So that at any time, you can go wherever you want to go, you are not dependent on others. (Freedom)
3、孩子，你一定要上大学，正规的大学。这与学历无关。人生中需要经历这几年，无拘无束又能染上书香的生活。 — — （一旦走进社会，就进入了市场。）
Háizi, nǐ yīdìng yào shàng dàxué, zhèngguī de dàxué. Zhè yǔ xuélì wúguān. Rénshēng zhōng xūyào jīnglì zhè jǐ nián, wújūwúshù yòu néng rǎn shàng shūxiāng de shēnghuó. — — (Yīdàn zǒu jìn shèhuì, jiù jìnrùle shìchǎng.)
You must go to a legitimate university. This is not about academic results. You must experience these few years without cares or worries while getting an education. (Once you enter society, you enter the real world.)
4、孩子，你知道吗？足迹有多远，心就有多宽。心宽，你才会快乐。万一走不远，让书籍带你走。 — — （拓宽自己的视野，借助知识的视野。）
Háizi, nǐ zhīdào ma? Zújì yǒu duō yuǎn, xīn jiù yǒu duō kuān. Xīnkuān, nǐ cái huì kuàilè. Wàn yī zǒu bù yuǎn, ràng shù jí dài nǐ zǒu. — — (Tàkuān zìjǐ de shìyě, jièzhù zhīshì de shìyě.)
Did you know…The more steps you take, the bigger your heart. If you have a big heart, then you will be happy. If you cannot go far, let books take you there. (Broaden your horizon with the vision of knowledge)
5、孩子，如果世界上仅剩两碗水，一碗用来喝，一碗要用来洗干净你的脸和内衣裤。 — — （自尊与贫富无关。）
Háizi, rúguǒ shìjiè shàng jǐn shèng liǎng wǎn shuǐ, yī wǎn yòng lái hē, yī wǎn yào yòng lái xǐ gānjìng nǐ de liǎn hé nèiyī kù. — — (Zìzūn yǔ pín fù wúguān.)
If this world only had two bowls of water, use one bowl for drinking, and the other bowl for cleaning your face and underwear. (Self respect is unrelated to being rich or poor)
6、孩子，天塌下来都不要哭，也不要抱怨。那样只能让爱你的人更心痛，恨你的人更得意。 — — （平静地承受命运，爱你的人自会关心。）
Háizi, tiān tā xiàlái dōu bùyào kū, yě bùyào bàoyuàn. Nàyàng zhǐ néng ràng ài nǐ de rén gèng xīntòng, hèn nǐ de rén gèng déyì. — — (Píngjìng de chéngshòu mìngyùn, ài nǐ de rén zì huì guānxīn.)
Even if the sky were to fall (no matter how bad your circumstance) do not cry or seek revenge. This will only make your loved ones heartbroken, and your enemies happy. (Accept your fate calmly, as your loved ones will naturally be concerned)
7、孩子，就算吃酱油拌饭，也要铺上干净的餐巾，优雅地坐着。把简陋的生活过得很讲究。 — — （风度与境遇无关。）
Háizi, jiùsuàn chī jiàngyóu bàn fàn, yě yào pù shàng gānjìng de cānjīn, yōuyǎ de zuòzhe. Bǎ jiǎnlòu de shēnghuóguò dé hěn jiǎngjiù. — — (Fēngdù yǔ jìngyù wúguān.)
Even when eating plain white rice with soy sauce, use a clean napkin and sit gracefully (maintain proper dining etiquette). Even a basic life should be led gracefully. (Elegance and circumstance are not related)
8、孩子，去远方的时候，除了相机，记得带上纸笔。风景是相同的，看风景的心情永不重复。 — — （徐霞客之所以是徐霞客，不是因为走的路最多。）
Háizi, qù yuǎnfāng de shíhòu, chúle xiàngjī, jìdé dài shàng zhǐ bǐ. Fēngjǐng shì xiāngtóng de, kàn fēngjǐng de xīnqíng yǒng bù chóngfù. — — (Xúxiákè zhī suǒyǐ shì xúxiákè, bùshì yīnwèi zǒu de lù zuìduō.)
When you travel afar, besides a camera, bring a pen and journal. The sights you see will look the same, but what you feel at first sight will never be the same. (The famous author Xu Xia Ge is who he is, not because he has travelled the most)
9、孩子，一定要有属于自己的空间，哪怕只有5平米。它可以让你在和爱人吵架赌气出走的时候，不至于流落街头，遇到坏人。更重要的是，在你浮躁的时候，有个地方让你静下来，给自己的心一个安放的角落。 — — （独立人格）
Háizi, yīdìng yào yǒu shǔyú zìjǐ de kōngjiān, nǎpà zhǐyǒu 5 píngmǐ. Tā kěyǐ ràng nǐ zài hé àirén chǎojià dǔqì chūzǒu de shíhòu, bù zhìyú liúluò jiētóu, yù dào huàirén. Gèng zhòngyào de shì, zài nǐ fúzào de shíhòu, yǒu gè dìfāng ràng nǐ jìng xiàlái, jǐ zìjǐ de xīn yīgè ānfàng de jiǎoluò. — — (Dúlì réngé)
You must have your own space, but only up to 5 square meters. So that when you are fighting with your loved ones and walk out, you will not wander the streets and meet a bad person. More importantly, when you are angry and impetuous, you have the space to calm yourself down. (An introspective state of being)
10、孩子，小时候要有见识，长大的时候要有经历，你才会有个精致的人生！ — — （读别人的经历，找自己的经历。）
Háizi, xiǎoshíhòu yào yǒu jiànshì, zhǎng dà de shíhòu yào yǒu jīnglì, nǐ cái huì yǒu gè jīngzhì de rénshēng! — — (Dú biérén de jīnglì, zhǎo zìjǐ de jīnglì.)
When you are young, you need to learn; when you are older, you need to experience. Then you will have a wonderful life! (Learn from others’ experience, then find your own experience)
11、孩子，无论什么时候，都要做一个善良的人。请记住，拥有善良，会让你成为最受上天眷顾的人。 — — （这种眷顾未必是财富与权势。善有善报，所报者，爱也。）
Háizi, wúlùn shénme shíhòu, dōu yào zuò yīgè shànliáng de rén. Qǐng jì zhù, yǒngyǒu shànliáng, huì ràng nǐ chéngwéi zuì shòu shàngtiān juàngù de rén. — — (Zhè zhǒng juàngù wèibì shì cáifù yǔ quánshì. Shàn yǒu shàn bào, suǒ bào zhě, ài yě.)
Regardless of time (situation), you must always be a good hearted person. With kindness, you will be one that is showered with blessings; not with blessings of wealth or power but with kindness in return. (Kindness begets kindness)
12、孩子，笑容、优雅、自信，是最大的精神财富。拥有了他们，你就拥有了全部。 — — （这就是“贵族”精神。）
Háizi, xiàoróng, yōuyǎ, zìxìn, shì zuìdà de jīngshén cáifù. Yǒngyǒule tāmen, nǐ jiù yǒngyǒule quánbù. — — (Zhè jiùshì “guìzú” jīngshén.)
A smile, elegance and self-confidence are the greatest personal assets. Have these qualities and you have it all. (This is called a spirit of “Nobility”).
Note: She gave the same advice in 2013.
More about Peng Liyuan
Peng Liyuan on Wikipedia
China’s first lady Peng Liyuan: a perfectly scripted life — Telegraph (2013)
Excerpt:
Born in Peng village in 1962, in the eastern province of Shandong, Mrs Peng comes from a poor family and the very opposite end of the Communist party to her princeling husband, whose father was a vice-premier of China.
Mrs Peng’s father was a lowly official, a schoolmaster who was put in charge of the county Culture bureau. He earned 40 yuan (£4) a month. Her mother, who has been nearly entirely erased from the record, was 25 when she was born and a member of a small touring opera company.
“She spent most of her childhood on the ox cart of the county’s playhouse,” remembered Wei Zhongping, her father’s deputy at the culture bureau.
“I was a born singer,” said Mrs Peng on a visit to Singapore in the 1990s.
By the age of five, she said, she could sing a complete folk song. “As a singer, I have won the highest honours in China. Actually I am like the panda: we are both national treasures,” she added.
“She was very tough on herself. I used to ask her why she studied so hard,” said Wen Sui, her dorm mate and fellow singer. “She would also help out her poorer classmates, buying them food coupons. Her father, who I met, taught her a lot. He used to tell her: ‘I do not care how famous you are, or how much money you have, you have to be a good person above all’.
The only critic who has ever given her a negative review, Jiang Li, said she had sought him out after he wrote that the constant and effusive stream of floral tributes to her on stage as she sang was a distraction.
“She was a little angry when she spoke to me at first. She asked what was wrong with people applauding her and giving her flowers. So then she arranged for me to come and meet her. Her brother picked me up and drove me to her teacher’s house, where she was cooking dinner,” he remembered.
“We became friends. She is an outstanding singer. The difference between her and others is that she does not have any pretension to her singing, or artificiality or techniques. And she does not compromise for the audience or the market.”
The Peony Fairy: Peng Liyuan, China’s first lady — CCTV America (2015)
Excerpt: Humble beginnings — Mrs. Peng comes from a poor family in contrast to her well-connected husband, whose father was a vice-premier of China.At 14, Peng Liyuan made an early entry into the Shandong University of the Arts specializing in Chinese Folk songs.
Culture has always been an important part of Mrs Peng’s upbringing. Her father was a schoolmaster in charge of the county Culture bureau. He earned 40 yuan a month. Her mother was a member of a small touring opera company, according to BBC.
Popularly referred to as the Peony fairy (referring to the Peony flowers of her hometown), Peng Liyuan has performed all over the world as a Chinese Folk Singer. After President Xi, took office in 2013, she cut down her singing engagements till 2014, when she narrated “a short film about discrimination towards people with HIV for the World Health Organization and also sang the film’s theme song. Since 2011, Peng has served as a World Health Organization (WHO) ambassador for Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
She was designated as UNESCO‘s Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls’ and Women’s Education in recognition “of her commitment to empowering girls and women through quality education, her outstanding contribution to fighting inequalities in education, her devoted service to human development and creativity, and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization” on March 27, 2014.
Forbes — 100 Most Powerful Woman in the World (2015) — Peng Liyuan #68
Excerpt: Parallels between China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan and her U.S. counterpart, Michelle Obama, include their sharp sense of style, prominence on the global stage, and commitment to their nation’s health and education. Peng promotes rural education in China and campaigns against tuberculosis for the World Health Organization. China’s most public first lady since Madame Mao, Peng was originally a famous opera and folk singer and a fixture on national magazine covers and television shows before marrying General Secretary of the Communist Party Xi Jinping. She gave up her lavish appearances and focused on activism around women’s education, tobacco control and HIV.
Originally published at debbiediscovers.wordpress.com on November 22, 2015.
