A mother as an example

Following the rules of the parenting books all the time is exhausting for Tao Ying. It is like carrying an audience with her everywhere: everything she does is watched.

Once she saw Xiao Ye eating a watermelon, gnawing it right down to the rind, just as she herself does. She scolded him for it.

Then she realised: children are the best imitators. They copy what we do, not what we say. So she must never fail in her own example.

Being a perfect example felt like trying to 'shoot down aeroplanes with a small gun': almost impossible. But she was determined.

Her life, as a result, became more focused and more challenging.