Would you feel helpless if your parents were not round? It seems that a lot of Chinese parents take responsibility for all the housework so that their kids can devote all their time to their homework. Thus, a simple everyday real-life problem could leave a child struggling painfully for a solution.

When I meet with some everyday life problems, which are just a piece of cake for my parents, I feel I am at my wit’s end. For example, I have no idea how to cook, how to wash various stains off my clothes, and how to fix a faulty electric kettle.

Last Saturday evening I got back home. After dinner, I was going to take a shower. When I was taking off my pants in the bathroom, my meal card slipped out of the pocket. I tried to catch it during its free fall, but in vain. “Hope it won’t drop into the toilet hole at least,” I prayed.

Unfortunately, the prophecy was fulfilled. The hole is about 30 centimetres deep and its diameter is 10 centimetres or so. I felt so desperate that I attempted to get it out with my hands despite the terrible smell. I could not however hard I tried. In the end I had no alternative but to turn to Mum for help.

Hearing about my trouble, Mother wanted to laugh and weep all at once. Having scratched her head for some time, Mum found a clothes hanger and fashioned it into a hook. After a lot of trial and error, she finally managed to fish the meal card out using the improvised tool.

I was very grateful and respectful to Mum. I realise that there are still a whole lot of life skills out there for me to pick up from my parents before I fly the nest.