Reporter for "The First Response" column: We saw the child running in the snow for a while in the video. Can you introduce the scene at that time? How long did he run?
He Liesheng: At that time, DuoDuo felt very cold, so he was shouting for daddy to carry him, but I didn't pick him up. The eagle believes that the young eagle has grown up and can fly, so it pushes the young eagle off the cliff. I adopted this kind of "eagle-style" extreme education.
I did not beat or scold the child. I put him in an extreme environment under circumstances he could endure to receive training.
Reporter for "The First Response" column: Some netizens think that uploading the "snow naked run" video online is a form of hype. What were your intentions behind doing this?
He Liesheng: This year, we celebrated the Spring Festival in New York, USA. Since my child DuoDuo has been undergoing physical training since he was young, we came up with the idea to celebrate the Spring Festival by using a naked run.
We pre-ran for half an hour to warm up, then went back to the room to take off our clothes, wrapped our bodies with blankets before going outside to start running. After running, we immediately wrapped ourselves with blankets again. We ran for a total of 5 minutes and 7 seconds.
He Liesheng: DuoDuo is in the first grade. He performs well in school and in class, and I have a high evaluation of him. But there are areas where he is not adapting. For example, there is a new algorithm in math class that he didn't understand because it's the first time he stepped into a classroom, and the language environment is different.
I didn't expect to receive so much attention. I knew this video would receive a lot of criticism and blame, but I hope to provide another model for Chinese education, so Chinese parents no longer spoil their children, allowing them to experience storms. If such a goal can be achieved, it will be worth it.
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He Liesheng: DuoDuo is a seven-month premature baby. The original intention of this "eagle training" is to let him grow up healthily and live like a normal person.
Reporter for "The First Response" column: Does the child's mother approve of your educational methods? Is the child afraid of you when he is with you?
This naked run was just different for him, the form was different. In the future, we will also train him in other forms such as taking cold showers and winter swimming.
When DuoDuo doesn't see his mother, he regards me as the closest person. When his mother is around, he will be closer to her. When I get old, he will definitely be good to his mother, who has never hit or scolded him. (laughs)
Regarding the issue of educating DuoDuo, my wife initially did not understand and was not very supportive. Later, due to the family always being in a state of disharmony, and my starting point being for the good of the child, she stopped asking questions.
DuoDuo has been receiving physical training for more than three years, starting from a few months after birth. The content includes long-distance running, walking, swimming, roller skating, martial arts, taekwondo, and washing his face and hands with cold water in winter. Every training session started with him having conflicting emotions, but later he gradually adapted.
I want to use this method to prove that Chinese children have strong willpower and are not flowers in greenhouses.
At that time, I said to DuoDuo, "Today we will use the naked run form for training." He said, "I am willing." I said, "It's very cold outside, you might cry from the cold, so we need to prepare."
He Liesheng: This was just a way to welcome the New Year. I sent the video to a friend, and the friend uploaded it to the Internet.
Reporter for "The First Response" column: In the video, we see the child crying and repeatedly shouting "Daddy carry me, Daddy carry me," but you did not go to pick him up. Some netizens said that after watching this video, they "felt heartbroken" and thought what you did was "too cruel." Can you talk about your thoughts at that time?
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 8th (reporters Han Yuanjun, Yao Siyan, Cao Ying) A video labeled "Real shot of father letting 4-year-old son run naked in -13°C snow" has recently spread on the Internet, sparking heated discussions among netizens. Is "running naked in the snow" too brutal for a 4-year-old child? What is the logic behind the so-called "eagle-style education" of the child's parents? On February 8th, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency's "The First Response" column exclusively connected with the father of the child in the video - He Liesheng, the head of a company in Nanjing, to discuss the stories and topics inside and outside the video.
At such a young age, I feel that DuoDuo may not understand now, but he will understand in the future.
Little DuoDuo running naked (Source: Yangtze Evening News)
Reporter for "The First Response" column: It is said that the child just started elementary school. What do you think of his performance since entering school?