5 things you should “know” about the Thai people in western Nghe An teaching their children

This was presented by Dr. Vi Van An, an ethnologist, in his book "The Thai people in western Nghe An". The 340-page work printed on 16x24 paper was published by The Gioi Publishing House and is considered quite comprehensive about the Thai people in Nghe An. In it, he devoted a part to talking about the birth and raising of children of a community of about 324,000 people in western Nghe An.

Dr. Vi Van An is a prestigious expert on the Thai people in Vietnam. He has spent over 30 years researching this community. Photo: Huu Vi

The Thai people in Nghe An believe that whether a child becomes a good person or not depends largely on the education of their parents. Parents must be role models for their children. However, whether a child becomes a good person or not depends on the soul and “heart” of the child. The proverb “parents teach better than the heart knows” says this. According to Dr. An, “heart” is the inner vitality of the child.

And whether a child becomes a good person or not is shown in his ability to work, filial piety to his parents, honesty, and harmony with the community. That is the goal in educating children. To achieve this goal, a child must be taught 5 skills called things to "know".

The first thing to know is "living". The Thai people have a saying "eating with chopsticks, living with heart". Therefore, knowing how to "live" is not only about taking care of yourself but also knowing how to behave properly. A child who "knows how to live" will be respected by the community, protected and attached to by relatives. "Knowing how to live" is also filial piety, love for parents, wife and children, knowing how to respect elders and give way to juniors, and addressing oneself in the right order. You must know your position and behave.

The book is considered a general work about the Thai people in Nghe An (Photo: Huu Vi)

Knowing how to “eat” is also an important skill for a child to be taught. This is not the skill of holding chopsticks and bowls, how to handle each type of food or how to eat to ensure nutrition, but the skill of “eating well and speaking well”. Parents often teach their children how to sit and eat properly. In addition, a child must also know how to give up delicious food to younger siblings, the elderly and the weak, and later on, his wife, husband or children. Most of all, later on, he must know how to take care of food for the family.

Walking is also something that Thai parents teach their children. A decent person must know how to walk gently. In addition, they must know how to let the elderly go up the stairs and sit at the dinner table first. When necessary, they must also know how to go first to take on the tasks that the family and community need them to do.

Choosing your words and being patient are also necessary skills for a child. You must speak gently and politely, without swearing or saying things that offend the guest. The Thai people have a proverb “talk like a human but not like a human” to teach children.

A scene from the naming ceremony of a child in Con Cuong. Photo: Huu Vi

Knowing how to “work” is probably the most important thing that Thai parents teach their children. Working simply means working to support yourself and your family, and contributing to building your village. A person who loves to work will avoid other bad habits such as laziness, especially stealing, a bad habit that Thai people despise.

Dr. Vi Van An is a Thai native from Con Cuong district (Nghe An), currently working at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. He is known as a leading expert in ethnology research today./.