This saying endorses strict discipline, even physical punishment, as a means to raise obedient and respectful children. It implies that leniency leads to waywardness.
Historically rooted in Confucian filial piety, where obedience to parents was paramount. It reflects traditional parenting norms that are increasingly debated in modern China.
It reflects a belief that children must be shaped through firm control to become morally upright adults. The saying justifies parental authority and the use of fear as a teaching tool.
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