5-year-old refuses to go to school, so mum makes him pick rubbish for a day

Here's one method to get your pre-schooler enthusiastic for school. 

After her 5-year-old refused to go to school, one mum in Thailand decided to teach her son a lesson in life.

Bangkok resident Nuttanitcha Chotsirimeteekul and her husband took the day off, bringing their son out on the streets with them.

Then the hard labour began.

They made the boy pick up plastic and glass bottles from bins and along the road, before selling them for cash.

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In a Facebook post on Jan 18, Chotsirimeteekul detailed how they walked about 2.2km, picking up about 2kg worth of bottles, which fetched about 2 baht (S$0.08).

After they were done, the boy asked his mother: "Can we take the bus?"

But she replied: "Do you have money? Taking the bus costs 10 baht."

He replied: "No."

"Then we have to find more bottles to earn more money", said Chotsirimeteekul. To her amusement, the child replied: "It's ok, I'll walk."

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The boy then followed with another request: "I want ice cream," to which Chotsirimeteekul said: "It costs 5 baht, do we have enough?"

Again he dejectedly said "No, I don't want it anymore."

In a clip captured on camera, he tells his mother: "I'm so tired, it's so hot, I want to go home."

Photos from their outing showed her son looking tired and dazed, with his hair drenched in perspiration and face blackened by grime.

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Chotsirimeteekul shared that the experience was a good lesson for them both - for her to always be a role model to their son, and also for the boy to know what it means to work hard.

In addition, their son would realise that no matter what he goes through, his parents will be there for him every step of the way, said Chotsirimeteekul.

Chotsirimeteekul's heartwarming post went viral soon after it was posted, garnering more than 70,000 likes and close to 60,000 shares.

Many Facebook users praised the parents for their exemplary teaching methods.

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The family's story has also attracted media attention in the country as well as overseas.

In another video shared, Chotsirimeteekul asks her son at the end of their 'lesson': "So do you want to work or go to school?" The exhausted boy loudly proclaims: "I want to go to school!"

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Guess her clever little trick worked.

candicec@sph.com.sg