I insist on compensation after 8-year-old broke my $1,500 laptop at a café

The recent case of two Chinese teenagers whose parents were ordered to pay 2.2 million yuan (US$309,000) in damages after their kids urinated into a hotpot at a popular restaurant reminded me of a basic principle: parents are responsible for their children’s actions.

A kid once shattered my laptop at a café by throwing a dinosaur model at it while I was working. The parents nonchalantly gave me their phone number and told me to get it repaired and that we could "sort it out later."

But the damage was beyond repair. The laptop cost over VND40 million and had never even been opened for cleaning, let alone fixed. Being told to "just repair it" infuriated me.

I insisted they pay for a new one as it was my work tool and my property. When I pressed the issue, they scoffed: "You’re really arguing with a child?"

No I was not. It is the adults who must take responsibility for their children’s actions. Parents are expected to teach their kids to respect others’ boundaries and property and to avoid causing harm. Saying "my kid is too young, they didn’t know" cannot morally or legally shield you from your poor parenting.

After much arguing, I finally received compensation but still had to spend another VND10 million out of pocket to buy a similar new laptop. It felt like a bolt from the blue. When I told the story to friends, some even suggested it was my fault for not being more cautious and protecting my belongings around children.

I could not understand why I, the victim, was being blamed. An eight-year-old may not fully grasp the consequences of their actions, but surely their parents do and it is their duty to help them understand that.

When parents stay unconcerned, or worse, make excuses, they teach their children that mistakes can be ignored, that being a kid gives them a free pass to misbehave. This leads to children growing up without a sense of responsibility for their actions.

Parental liability is not only a matter of law but also of social ethics. A civilized society cannot be built on excuses, but on respect for others and accountability. This cannot be taught if parents themselves constantly weasel out of responsibility when their children do wrong.

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.