To avoid leaving home: in China, parents hire couriers to take their children to school (3 photos)
Some savvy parents in China are asking courier companies to bring their children to school in the morning. The "life hack" has sparked controversy online. 
One woman from Guangxi Province in southern China shared online that winter mornings are too cold for her to get out of bed, so she hired a courier to take her child to school at 6:30 a.m.
The cost of deliveries under five kilometers in China is between 10 and 20 yuan (US$1 to US$3), and one supporter of the move believes it's a smart idea, since delivering packages and children are essentially the same thing.
A woman surnamed Zheng from central China's Henan Province said she gets tired from her night job, so she often hires courier workers to "transport" her child to school. The couriers report back to the mother, sending her footage of the delivery. 
In her defense, Zheng said her home was very close to the school.
Another mother in Chengdu in southwest China admitted that she came up with the idea to hire a courier during heavy rain, which caused traffic jams.
"The driver on his electric bike took a shortcut and delivered my child to school on time," she commented, admitting that entrusting your child to a stranger is not really the best idea.
Another netizen noted that delivery couriers are often pressed for time, speeding, and running red lights. And it is extremely unsafe when there is a child with him.
At the same time, lawyer Zhao Liangshan warned that children, as a rule, do not know how to recognize risks and protect themselves. And if you trust them to strangers, the risk of kidnapping and other crimes increases.
A delivery company commented on the controversy, saying that transporting people is not part of its services. Therefore, drivers who accept such orders privately will be punished if they are caught. At the same time, people who carry out transportation services in China without a license face a fine of up to 100,000 yuan (US$14,000). 
