Renowned Chinese host Zhu Dan recently revealed on a program that she arranged for her 3-year-old son to join a mixed-age class at kindergarten along with her 6-year-old daughter. She mentioned that her daughter would be responsible for taking her brother to school, feeding him, and even helping with math homework. This parenting method has sparked controversy over gender bias.
Zhu Dan remarried famous actor Zhou Yiwei in 2017 and has a daughter and a son. During a variety show called “Love Study Tour,” she proudly shared that she had her 6-year-old daughter attend the same class as her 3-year-old son, all in the name of “having the older sister take care of her brother.” She expressed with affection, “Their bond is so strong, always sticking together. When the sister hugs her brother, it truly gives a mother-son bond feeling.”
Some netizens have raised concerns about Zhu Dan’s parenting approach, believing that asking her daughter to sacrifice her childhood to care for her brother may not only affect the daughter’s psychological well-being but also have negative impacts on her future social development. The trending topic “Zhu Dan lets daughter repeat a grade” quickly gained popularity on Weibo.
Other netizens have pointed out that Zhu Dan only mentioned her son starting school early and that mixed-age classes typically include children aged 3 to 6, so her daughter’s participation might be normal. In a segment of the show, Zhu Dan also mentioned shifting her focus onto her daughter now, fearing that her daughter may feel jealous and emphasizing how her son listens to his sister.
In fact, Zhu Dan had previously faced criticism for gender bias on another show called “Fifty Kilometers of Peach Blossoms.” At that time, viewers criticized her for prioritizing two chicken legs for 25-year-old and 28-year-old male guests Zhou Yiran and Dong Sicheng, stating that “boys need to grow.” Meanwhile, she allocated chicken wings to 21-year-old Taiwanese guest Ouyang Didi and mainland senior artist Ning Jing. When Ning Jing asked Zhu Dan if she “loved boys more,” Zhu Dan admitted to it slightly and explained her preference for her son with “opposites attract,” which led to some netizens’ discontent.