The Chick Class Hunter is Being Filial

*Cafe: HN-dong Elegant Moms' Circle*
[Title: How to Guide a 4-Year-Old Genius with Lots of Aegyo]
Posted by: Dooguru

I’m the guardian of a four-year-old girl.
She’s bright, driven to grow, and deeply empathetic—but she often lies or behaves recklessly.
Because she’s ahead of her peers, she fully understands the intent behind scolding. However, she’ll act all cutesy or ask for hugs and pats as a way to wiggle out of situations.

In moments when she clearly understands she’s done something wrong, would hugging and comforting her still be helpful?
She’s already extremely sensitive to others’ moods, so I’m wondering how to correct her without making her feel intimidated—or risking her repeating the same actions.
[Comments]

IAmYourMommy: At four, they’re so cute it’s hard to even scold them LOL
How are the grandparents?
If they’re the strict type, some people ask them to step in as backup disciplinarians keke

My kid listens real well to grandma and grandpa too~~~
Dooguru: We only recently resumed contact with her grandfather, and frankly, he’s never been of much help.
IAmYourMommy: Ah.. yeah… everyone’s got their own circumstances these days…

Top1PercentGeniusMom: That sounds like right-brain giftedness~ My kid’s advanced too so I totally get it 😭😭 Mine scored in the top 1% on the K-WPPSI~ He knows exactly how to melt us~ Super sly~!! Luckily mine doesn’t cause trouble though… must be stressful for you..^^
Dooguru: Yes.
OnJurim: Scolding alone isn’t enough. Firm discipline is critical!! Stop trying to “read their heart”!! These days everyone’s too focused on preserving their kid’s confidence, no one’s actually disciplining them, and that worries me;;

Dooguru: Why is your nickname “OnJurim”? And what exactly do you mean by “reading their heart”?
OnJurim: Huh? It was on TV just now so I just used it…
Dooguru: Just a minor personal curiosity. Don’t worry. As I don’t even know what “reading their heart” means, I don’t do it. Your reply wasn’t very helpful, so I’d appreciate other perspectives from different members.
OnJurim: Excuse me, Dooguru-mom?

Dooguru: I’m not a mom.
OnJurim: What are you doing right now, Dooguru-mom? Are you trying to pick a fight or what;;
Dooguru: I said I’m not a mom. Is that a problem?

OnJurim: Then are you the dad…? Huh. Kinda makes sense, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) the tone felt masculine from the start.
Dooguru: I’m neither a mom nor a dad. I’m her guardian.
OnJurim: What is this ;; Are you joking?

Dooguru: Which part gave you that impression?
OnJurim: Wait… you’re talking about your daughter, right?
Dooguru: That’s correct. As written in the post, I’m referring to the four-year-old girl I’m raising.

OnJurim: Then what’s with this “guardian” nonsense??? I don’t know what kind of weird pseudo-parenting theory you picked up, but seriously! Don’t do that in front of your kid!! At four years old, a child’s whole world is their mom and dad! And you’re saying you’re not either??? Just a guardian??? That kind of attitude is going to mess her up!! Forget disciplining the kid—you need to fix your own mindset first!!
ENFPMom: Dooguru-mom, are you maybe a T?
Dooguru: My tier is S.

 
****
Cafe username “OnJurim”—real name Park Mirim—slammed the Enter key after posting her long-winded comment.

She’d just responded to the sudden appearance of the new mom-cafe villain: “Dooguru.”
It had already rubbed her the wrong way when the poster questioned her choice of the nickname “OnJurim.”
What, is this person some kind of On Jurim fan?

She had only picked the name because the last syllable was fun—but then that nerve-grating tone, shamelessly insisting they were neither mom nor dad but “guardian”?
How could someone treat their own daughter like that?
Whether it was Dooguru-mom, Dooguru-dad, or Dooguru-guardian, she seriously doubted someone with that kind of mindset could raise a kid properly.

Just then, her daughter Harry ran into the kitchen and clung to her waist.
“Mommy, mommy, mommy, whatcha doin’?”
“About to make dinner. Did you clean up your toys?”

“Yeah! Where’s Daddy?”
“He’s gonna be late. We’re having dinner just us tonight.”
“’Kay. Oh, Mommy! Gwuru said she wants to see you tomorrow. You gotta wook pwetty.”

“Guru did?”
Guru was Harry’s classmate at kindergarten.
She was also the one Harry had been scolded for bullying, with the teachers asking the family to reinforce guidance at home. Ever since, Guru had lingered in Mirim’s mind.

When she’d asked the school to pass along contact info so she could personally apologize to Guru’s parents, all she’d received was:
“Everything’s fine now, just please continue guiding Harry to avoid future incidents.”
“I still feel terrible. I really wanted to reach out and apologize directly.”

“Well… Guru’s guardian said it was resolved within school, so there’s no need for personal contact. They said adults don’t need to exchange apologies over things between kids…”
“Oh… I see…”
Even just hearing it secondhand from the teacher, she could feel the chill and distance.

She’d only heard that Guru used to live in an orphanage before being adopted into a good home.
Is this really okay?
If it were any other family, they’d be calling nonstop. Here she was, pacing with guilt, and yet Guru’s household—where the child had been bullied—felt like dry, crumbling sand.

It made her wonder if Guru was really okay in that adoptive home.
“Alright, Mommy always looks pretty when she goes out. Harry, come here. Help me pack this.”
Mirim quickly stuffed the fairytale book set she’d bought for tomorrow into a bag.

 
****
The next day.

Among the mothers of the Chick Class, Jurim sat with a drowsy expression in a child-sized chair.
A tall man awkwardly folded into a preschool chair drew no small number of stares.
“Uh… I think we under-prepared for this!”

Chick Class homeroom teacher Ms. Jung Yoon, pale as a ghost, hurriedly brought out a proper chair.
“Guildmastuh On, please sit here.”
“I’m fine.”

You really don’t look fine.
Surrounded by petite mothers, Jurim was, quite literally, crumpled.
“Seriously, I think you should sit properly…”

“Yes, please do.”
“Over here, Guildmastuh On.”
When the mothers all chimed in to urge him, Jurim finally got up and languidly settled into the adult-sized chair.

With an unbothered face, seemingly used to all the attention, he crossed one leg over the other and idly fiddled with his phone.
Among the colorful kindergarten decor, he was the single most out-of-place presence—his real-life impact far more devastating than on any screen.
Yoon knew the mothers couldn’t tear their eyes off the Guildmastuh, and decided she had to wrap this event up fast before someone’s home life exploded.

“Alright, please sit back and relax. We’ll begin shortly.”
As Yoon headed to the front of the classroom, Park Mirim arrived late, lugging a heavy shopping bag.
“Hello. I’m Harry’s mom.”

“Welcome, Harry’s mom. You can sit in the back over there.”
“Um, excuse me… did Guru’s parents come too? I really wanted to say hello and apologize for the other time…”
“Ah… yes, Guru’s father… he came.”

“Her father?”
It was rare for fathers to attend midweek school events like this. Most of the time it was the moms. So it was surprising to hear that not both parents, but only the father had come.
“You’ll know when you see him. Over there…”

The man Yoon pointed to sat alone, legs crossed, looking at his phone.
When Park Mirim saw his face, she blinked twice.
“…?”

She turned back to the teacher with a dumbfounded expression, as if asking, Is that for real?
Yoon nodded, confirming it.
“Guildmastuh On Jurim is Guru’s father.”

This was news she’d never heard before—and it left Mirim reeling.
She looked down at her daughter.
“Harry… Guru’s family… why didn’t you tell me…”

“Huh? You didn’t ask, Mommy!”
Why would I think to ask?! Mirim clutched her chest, staring at her daughter in disbelief.