Controversial Parenting Routine for 4-Year-Old Goes Viral, Sparks Debate

In the dense thicket of Hong Kong’s academic jungle, one mother’s strategy is raising more than just eyebrows — it’s setting the internet ablaze.

Actress Lena Li, 37, isn’t just dropping her four-year-old off at school. She’s running a full-blown educational relay — two kindergartens a day, six round trips, one portable toilet in the car. Yes, you read that right.

Little Amber starts her day at 7:30 a.m. — breakfast in a moving vehicle, uniform change in the backseat, naps squeezed in during traffic lights. From Christ Church Kindergarten for English to Hong Kong Soka for Cantonese, her schedule is packed tighter than a bento box on exam day.

I’ll admit, when I first read about the portable toilet, I thought it was a joke. But then I remembered a friend in Kowloon who once told me, “In Hong Kong, preschool is a blood sport.” She wasn’t kidding.

Online, the debate exploded. Critics hurled terms like “monster mom” and “tiger parent,” accusing Li of fast-forwarding her daughter’s childhood. “She’s four, not forty,” one user snapped. Another wrote, “Too much for a toddler. Let her be a kid.”

But not everyone’s appalled. In fact, many parents chimed in with a shrug: “This is normal.” In a city where bilingualism is a basic survival skill, double kindergarten isn’t even headline-worthy. Morning classes typically end by noon, afternoon sessions start at two. Logistically? It fits. Philosophically? That’s where it splits.

Li’s defense? Amber enjoys it. And there’s footage to prove it — Mandarin recitation trophies, English speaking certificates, smiling zoo selfies. “Effort brings rewards,” Li posted.

And that’s the crux of it. Is it dedication, or overkill? A gift of opportunity, or pressure wrapped in gold stars?

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Do it for your kid.” But at what point does doing turn into deciding — for them?

In a city racing for the finish line, maybe the bigger question is: who set the course in the first place?