“You can ask your dad!”: The blossoming empathy of pre-k kids

Chenchen did not enjoy speaking English in class, so I planned to give a lesson about his favourite superhero. While we were packing up one afternoon, I asked Chenchen if he liked the idea. He seemed enthusiastic. But even at the tender age of five, he knew how difficult it could be for foreigners to research Chinese phenomena, so he asked me to take a photo of his trading cards for future reference.

He joined the line of kids by the door, waiting for the bell to go, his brow all furrowed, unsure if I was up to the task. Then he yelled victoriously, “You can ask your dad!” Chenchen figured that when he has a problem, he can go to his dad to solve it. Therefore, if I have a problem that needs solving, I can go to mine. But then a shadow came over his little face. “Where is Melissa’s dad? Is he even in China?,” he thought as he toddled out of the classroom.