Hard-working parents raise three successful children

Le Thi Bich Ngoc (born 1999), the youngest child in the family, said she was very surprised that their story received so much attention and praise for their parents’ parenting and the siblings’ tireless efforts.

“Our family is just one among many rural Vietnamese families who have managed to achieve this. Still, I believe our parents have every right to be proud of their children and what we’ve accomplished,” Ngoc shared.

Ngoc's parents are Le Van Hoa (born 1969) and Hoang Thi Thiet (born 1973). The eldest brother, Le Tien Hiep (born 1995), graduated from Hanoi University of Science and Technology and is currently a mechanical engineer. Ngoc's twin sister, Le Thi Ngoc Bich, graduated from Hanoi University of Pharmacy and is now pursuing a master's degree in France. Ngoc herself graduated from Hanoi Medical University and was one of 400 people accepted into the resident doctor program two years ago.

Ngoc’s family lives in Chuong village (Thanh Oai, Hanoi), a place famous for conical hat making. The journey of raising three children was far from easy. Hoa has worked as a construction worker for more than 30 years, rarely taking a break regardless of rain or shine. Ngoc still remembers the image of her father standing on scaffolding under the scorching sun, his shirt soaked with sweat, tirelessly working to earn his daily wage.

Ngoc’s mother learned to weave conical hats from a young age. That became the craft she used to help support the family and pay for her children's education. However, the income from this manual work was minimal, so she also took on other jobs like transplanting and harvesting rice for hire to make ends meet.

“Times were tough back then; I rarely saw my parents buy new clothes. I still remember when I was in first grade, we didn’t have an umbrella or a proper raincoat,” Ngoc recounted.

Despite their hardships, her parents never asked their children to stop studying to help with the family’s finances. The three siblings only helped with hat weaving, household chores, or seasonal rice harvesting. As they grew older, their parents always urged them to focus on their studies.

“I always told my children: ‘Our family is poor; if you want to escape poverty, you must study hard. Our job is to earn money to support you, and your job is to study well to take care of yourselves. Everyone does their part,’” Hoa shared with VietNamNet.

Witnessing their parents’ struggles, Ngoc and her siblings were motivated to study diligently. Ngoc believes the most effective parenting method was her parents’ example. Their hard work, discipline, morality, and love for each other inspired the children to strive for self-improvement.

“Choosing schools, fields of study, and career paths were all decisions our children made on their own. We didn’t have the knowledge to advise them. There were times I couldn’t even imagine our children would make it this far, but seeing them studying until 1 or 2am gave me hope.

I thought, if my children tried their best, I had to try ten times harder to ensure they could afford their education if they excelled. We all looked at each other, worked together, and succeeded,” Hoa said.

A father’s advice

During their school years, the three siblings rarely attended extra classes. The older brother tutored his younger siblings. When he moved to Hanoi for university, the two sisters continued to support each other. 

When the eldest brother graduated, he helped his parents support his two younger sisters. Ngoc and her sister, once they settled into their study schedules, also worked as tutors to cover their own living expenses.

At every stage, the family remained united: each person had their role, all working toward a shared goal. Ngoc admitted there were times she felt overwhelmed, but thinking of her parents and siblings also working hard every day gave her the motivation to keep going.

To reach where they are today, every family member faced their own challenges and hardships. Now, the father continues working to avoid burdening his children, the mother tends to the home, the brother focuses on his career, the sister studies in France, and Ngoc strives to become a skilled, compassionate, and ethical doctor.

“My father always said: ‘With virtue, you’ll never go hungry. As a doctor, your heart and ethics must come first,’” Ngoc recalled with emotion.

Thanh Minh