Li Family

**The Li Family** is the second episode of Series 4 of the British version of *The World's Strictest Parents*.

## Episode Summary

Both coming from single parents, the teens experience living under the guidance of the wealthy Chinese American Li family. During the show, Callum manages to improve his behaviour and gets on easily; although he has trouble quitting his smoking habit until the family help him realise the dangers of the vice. Both Callum and Alex (eldest child) form a friendship. However, Georgie, Shasha, and Alex argue over Alex's opinion that Georgie did not do well at the charity work, then Georgie runs out of the house. Benjamin has to negotiate with Georgie in a two-hour standoff to come back in the house but returns and Shasha calls Georgie's mother. After the show, Georgie still refused to apologise to the Li household after her angry outburst during their stay.

## Recap

### Introductions

#### Callum Watson

Just like Georgie, Callum comes from a single mother and hails from Manchester. He is known to drink and smoke as well as indulge in taking illegal substances. Once a promising student, Callum's grades lowered.

### Teen Departures

Both Callum and Georgie's mums agreed to send their teenagers to live with a family in Charlotte, North Carolina.

### Strict Family Introduction

Providence Downs is an upper class subdivision of large scale homes and mansions where wealthy and elites live. One of its residents is the Li's, a Chinese American family consisting of father Benjamin and his wife Sasha, a prominent lawyer and housewife respectively. The couple have two children, son Alex and daughter Rei-rei.

Although living the American dream such as enjoying American culture and dishes along with American benefits such as U.S. citizenship, the Lis maintain their Chinese culture through many ways, one of which is having high expectations for their children.

Hailing from China, Benjamin was a consistent honor student who became a scholar for a prominent American university and was sent to study in the United States. A working honor student also in his university years *(college years in American English)*, Benjamin excelled in almost everything. He met also met Sasha and both worked for each other and Sasha gave him additional support to succeed in and graduate law school as well as pass the bar examinations.

Their children are both consistent honor students and succeed in both work and play. Alex is a business graduate owing up his ambitious drive to his father while Reirei is a student. Both children uphold the Chinese belief that the eldest in the family should be respected and elders should be served first.

### Day 1

The teens arrive at Charlotte, NC, and drive to the Providence Downs subdivision where they are taken aback by the large houses in the area. Arriving at the Li household, they are welcomed by the family, who show them to their rooms. Callum hides his cigarettes to avoid discovery. The Li parents orient them to the house rules

House Rules

1. Parents, elders, or anyone older, should be given outmost respect.
2. Profanity or any inappropriate language is forbidden
3. Education always comes first in the culture.
4. Smoking and drinking is forbidden.
5. No drugs
6. Be honest and take responsibility for your actions
7. Honor is above all.

The teens are given a tour of the house by the Li children. Sometime later, Alex and Georgie admit to the Li's that they have only three cigarettes and they plan to quit by smoking the last stick. The Li parents are opposed to this and they lie that they are going out for a small stroll within Providence Downs. However, Benjamin and Sasha suspect this as a ruse made by the teens to continue their smoking and they follow them. They spot the teens making their last smoke and Benjamin forces them to hand over their last pack, lighters, and their unfinished cigarettes, to which Callum reluctantly complies. With motherly advice, Sasha talks to Callum about the dangers of smoking and other vices as they head back to the house and Callum apologises.

The Li's then have lunch with the teens wherein Alex teaches them the use of chopsticks as they and each member of the foster teens and the Li family discuss their backgrounds and origins.

### Day 2

The teens are then woken by the Lis, who tell them to get ready for the day's activities. As they stroll the neighborhood, Benjamin gives Alex nicotine gum, hoping that it would help him quit smoking. Although Alex is unhappy, he accepts and tries it.

### Day 7

The Li's say tearful goodbyes to the teens before they leave.

### Teen Returns

Georgie and Callum return to their familes

## Trivia

This is the first episode to show both teens coming from single parents

## People

### Family Members

* Benjamin Li
* Sasha Li
* Alex Li (22)
* Reirei Li (19)

### Foster Teens

* Callum Watson (17)
* Georgie Weare (17)

### Other People

* Rico

## External Links

* Information on the BBC website