Boys build ‘hotline’ to relieve schoolwork stress  

俩孩子作业多没空串门 摇绳子发暗号隔窗聊天

记者在鹤壁福田三区采访中发现了有趣一幕，家住同一栋楼的楼上楼下两个孩子，用一根绳子拴在各家阳台的防盗窗上，想聊天就摇动绳子发“暗号”，俩孩子就到阳台上隔着防盗窗聊天、聊学习、道心声，而这一聊就是两年。记者问：“为什么不直接下楼一起聊天？”孩子回答：“那多浪费时间，还有许多作业要写，这样效率多高呀！”[查看全文]

(ECNS) – Two boys who live on different floors of an apartment complex in Hebi, Henan province, have fashioned a unique way to signal one another when they have time to chat, according to Dahe.cn.

The boys named Dawei and Jiajia, who live on the first floor and second floor respectively, use a discarded telephone wire to "call" each other. The wire is connected to each of their windows and can be shaken to alert someone on the other end.

The boys then come out onto their balconies for brief conversations, a rare treat in their busy schedules dominated by homework.

Dawei, 14, said chatting with Jiajia, 11, helps him relieve the tension caused by heavy schoolwork. The boys have communicated this way for more than two years.

Jiajia's father, surnamed Wang, said such a "hotline" has saved a lot of time and money on phone bills, while Dawei's mother said she keeps her son at home to protect him from harm and potential abduction.

"Communication among children in cities has become restricted by many factors," said education critic Yue Jianguo.

Most kids are only-children and schoolwork takes up too much time, and their parents are overly concerned with safety and homework - all these lead to inadequate communication among children, Yue said.

Schools and parents should acquire more knowledge about education, and create more chances for children to communicate with their peers, Yue added.