The teacher, after observing the scene, recorded the video.

That day, when Ms. Zhang’s daughter Man (China) was taking a nap at the kindergarten, the teacher suddenly sent her a video. While the other children were all fast asleep, her little girl was lying neatly on the bed, her hands neatly placed outside the blanket. A small hand of the baby was gently beating his thigh – it looked like he was lulling himself to sleep, hoping that he could quickly fall asleep.

At home, lulling children to sleep is almost a familiar “ritual”. Every night, Ms. Truong tells stories to her children, then pats them with her hands so that she can sleep with peace of mind. But at school, without her mother by her side, she is forced to overcome it on her own. In the video, Man Man’s eyes still can’t close, they keep turning back and forth in the dim light, as if they are still trying to reassure themselves by learning the habits their mother used to do.

After observing the scene, the teacher recorded the video and sent it to Ms. Zhang, hoping that she could see a very different side of her daughter, a little girl who was still young but was trying to adapt, trying to grow up in silence.

Sister Zhang finished watching, her heart was both pitiful and emotional. Partly because of the surprise – the little girl who was often sluggish, wrapped around her mother every night and obediently lay down to coax herself to sleep. Partly because I suddenly realized: I was growing up in my own way, quietly but bravely.

Since the day he entered kindergarten, Man Man had to learn a lot of things: Eating on his own, dressing himself, playing with his friends, and now lulling himself to sleep. Those seemingly small things, for adults, are not much, but for a baby who has just left the mother’s arms, it is a great effort.

Nap time at school is mandatory for young children. This is not only a necessary break to help the baby’s body produce growth hormone, but also a time for the child to “recharge” after a morning of exercise. Therefore, the school often arranges beds for children in many different directions, to avoid them bothering each other when turning around or having trouble sleeping.

Although in the video, Man Man’s self-patting does not seem to be really effective because the baby’s eyes are still unrested, but for the mother, it is more than enough to see that the child is trying. It is enough to understand that, when parents are not around, children are still learning to adapt and grow up on their own.

Every time I leave my mother’s hand to step out, it is a time when I learn something new. And every time like that, the mother’s heart sobbed, both loving and proud.

After watching the video, Ms. Truong thought to herself: If only I had sent my child to school a little earlier, maybe she would have known how to be independent a long time ago.

When she was at home, Man Man was a baby who was very attached to her mother. From eating, sleeping, playing, everything is demanding from her mother. Every time her mother leaves her sight, it is like she is crying and crying. There are days when Ms. Truong can’t do anything, just hanging around and coaxing her child. Sometimes she is too tired, she also thinks: “I wonder when I will be less attached to my mother?” But then she comforted herself that she was still young, just let her grow up a little more.

However, after a few weeks of her child going to kindergarten, she was surprised to realize: It turned out that my child was not as “difficult to teach” as she thought. At school, without my mother patting me, I still know how to sleep on my own. Without my mother holding a spoon, I also know how to sit and eat as much as I want. What my mother does at home helps, I can do it again when I go to school, even very well.

Ms. Truong understands one thing: Sometimes it’s not because I don’t know, but because my mother hasn’t given me the opportunity to learn and try. At home, I am used to being surrounded and pampered, so I am afraid to do it. But at school, when you live in a disciplined environment, with teachers and friends, you will learn to adjust yourself, learn to integrate, cooperate and adapt. Those are valuable lessons that if you only stay at home with your mother, it will be very difficult for you to get.

Sending children to school early does not mean pushing them to be born early, but giving them a great opportunity: the opportunity to learn to be independent, to learn how to grow up. And also for mothers, the opportunity to take a step back, quietly watch their children grow up.

See more: Head stuck in bed railing: 2-year-old child died while napping at kindergarten

According to local media, the accident occurred on May 19 at a private kindergarten in Dushanbe. On May 27, many newspapers and social networks posted this information with a video recorded by the school’s camera.

While turning over while sleeping, the boy’s right leg protruded from the gap in the bed guardrail. After waking up, the boy tried to get out and climb back into bed, but slipped and stuck his head in the middle of the barrier for about half an hour. The babysitting teacher was not in the room at the time. When they found out about the incident, everyone quickly took him to the hospital, but he had no signs of life because of suffocation.

The boy got his head stuck in the slot of the bed guardrail, leading to his death. Photo: Screenshot

Tajikistan’s Ministry of Interior said authorities are investigating the case. The prosecutor’s office and the Sino district police station, Dushanbe, arrested a 29-year-old female teacher to clarify irresponsible behavior while on duty. This teacher started working as a probationary worker at the school in May 2023. She became a full-time employee on September 1, 2024. From April 2025, she will be tasked with managing a group of children under the age of three. If convicted, the teacher could face up to five years in prison.