A boy cut up his mother's gold necklace to give to friends (4 photos)

An eight-year-old boy in China cut up his mother's gold necklace and gave it to his classmates. The story went viral, sparking heated debate online.





An online debate has erupted in China after the unusual behavior of an eight-year-old schoolboy from Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province. The boy found his mother's gold wedding necklace, broke it into small pieces, and gave it to his classmates as a symbol of friendship.

The family learned of the incident only a month later, and the delay only added to the shock.



The boy's mother, a woman named San, was told about her son's strange gift at school. She overheard one of the students bragging about a gold piece he received from her brother. Afterward, the parents reviewed the surveillance footage and saw the details. The footage shows the boy opening his mother's drawer, removing the jewelry, attempting to bite it with pliers, lighting it with a lighter, and finally beginning to chew on the chain with his teeth to separate it into pieces.





When his parents asked his child if he understood the value of the jewelry, the boy honestly admitted he had no idea how much gold costs. In China, one gram costs approximately 1,200 yuan, equivalent to about $170. The necklace weighed eight grams, but only a few tiny fragments were found. The boy said he gave the rest to his classmates, although he no longer remembers who.

The father physically punished the child, sparking a wave of criticism online. Many users pointed to China's Law on the Protection of Minors, which prohibits such methods of coercion. A lawyer from Hebei Province explained that children eight years and older are considered persons with limited legal capacity and are responsible only within their capabilities. Parents are obligated to choose parenting methods that do not traumatize the child.



The story quickly went viral. On social media, users actively discussed not only the boy's actions but also the adults' reactions. Some joked that if he gave gold to girls in his class, the family's future daughter-in-law might be among them.

Others marveled at his persistence and imagination, as the child literally "put his heart and soul" into the gift for his friends. There were also those who expressed sympathy for the mother, for whom the jewelry had not only material but also deep personal value.