Loss of empathy, frozen in place... 'Salt-free parenting' is not wrong; it's a matter of attitude that 'Lee Ji-hoon's wife' Ayane doesn't understand [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Who said 'salt-free parenting' was wrong? Ayane (33), the Japanese wife of musical actor Lee Ji-hoon (47), publicly criticized a daycare center for violating her personal 'salt-free parenting' principles, only to face a severe backlash.

Ayane married Lee Ji-hoon, who is 14 years her senior, in 2021 and gave birth to their daughter Lu-hee in July 2024. She is now 10 weeks into her second pregnancy.

Among these developments, Ayane drew attention on the 7th by sharing her firm stance on 'salt-free parenting' for Lu-hee on her Instagram, which has 30,000 followers. She posted a photo of a candy wrapper, saying, "It was quite shocking. Lu-hee is still a baby who eats only salt-free foods, so she only eats rice crackers and no vitamin candies. But yesterday, I found a candy wrapper in the non-woven bag she brought from daycare. Since she hadn't tasted it yet, I had only ever explained that she couldn't have candy, whether at the hospital or at a cultural center, by persuading her with 'This is something you can't eat.' Now that she knows she can eat it, she keeps saying 'Candy, candy.'"

This was interpreted as a public expression of dissatisfaction toward the daycare center, drawing sharp criticism from many netizens. Moreover, with comedian Lee Su-ji recently releasing satirical content on her YouTube channel about daycare teachers struggling with unreasonable 'customized' demands from parents, attention focused on Ayane's apparent disregard for entrusting her child to a public institution. Lee Su-ji, who had pointed out such issues, was brought into the spotlight.

While 'salt-free parenting' itself is not problematic, Ayane expressed her frustration over the broken principle yet inexplicably mentioned the daycare center. Netizens responded with comments such as: "Watch Lee Su-ji's YouTube video about kindergarten teachers. It's exactly about that. You don't even realize what's wrong; it's precisely your situation," "No educational institution would welcome a mother like that. Home childcare is the answer," "Please, raise your child at home without giving them sugar. Don't create issues like this and make the world harder for everyone," "Really, you must do home childcare. It's unavoidable in group settings. Teachers get blamed," "Did you post that attack article to get people on your side? Or were you truly anxious? I recommend home childcare for everyone's sake," "As someone who studied early childhood education, I hear that it's becoming difficult to work as a kindergarten, daycare, school teacher, pediatrician, or obstetrician because so many parents are overly demanding over trivial matters. Before blaming experts, you should reflect on yourselves," "Stop being difficult and raise your child alone at home. Daycare teachers are someone's precious daughter and mother," among others. A flood of critical comments poured in.

One netizen pointed out Ayane's thoughtless remarks, saying, "Don't do that. What good does it do to write this for the daycare teachers to see? It's sad."

However, Ayane deepened the disappointment with an answer that strayed from the point, stating, "But do daycare centers actually give out candy? I really didn't know. Aside from the meals served at the daycare, I had no idea what else was given to the child."

Criticism such as "You're talking nonsense about salt-free. Don't send your child to daycare; raise them at home" also targeted her attitude toward the daycare center. Yet Ayane responded, "The WHO recommends salt-free diets for children under 24 months. I'm not asking the daycare to make my child the only one on a salt-free diet. Isn't it ridiculous that we try our best to follow this at home? I don't believe all children must be salt-free, nor do I think salted meals are wrong. But I think every parent wants their child to grow up healthy. I don't understand why being salt-free makes my child a target of ridicule. It harms no one. Only I am suffering."

Furthermore, Ayane clarified, "I received comments like 'Don't send your child to daycare' and 'You're talking nonsense about salt-free.' I didn't post this to express dissatisfaction with the daycare. I simply didn't know whether snacks or meals other than those on the daycare menu, such as cookies, were being given. That was what shocked me. From what I saw, it seems a temporary external teacher gave it, but I'm not blaming any teacher or anyone. The fact that Lu-hee ate candy itself was shocking. And salt-free is a mother's choice. I have never forced it on anyone or harmed anyone, so I've continued doing it."

Ayane's explanation only invited fierce criticism. Comments included: "You caused harm. Think about the daycare's perspective when reading that post. I thought you were someone who would consider that," "We're not criticizing you because salt-free is funny. It's absurd that you posted an attack article over a single candy. The problem isn't that salt-free is mocked; it's that you posted that attack article. That post could harm someone," "It's not about ridicule. If you send your child to a public facility, you should understand public opinion. If you dislike that, raise your child in a private space with a private sitter," "The point isn't salt-free. Doing this while entrusting your child to public childcare is being difficult. The problem is that you posted an attack article on the daycare without realizing you were being difficult. Why pretend you don't know when your posts keep getting covered in the news?" Criticism continued.

In response to a comment stating, "It's understandable to be uncomfortable about a young child eating candy. Shouldn't you have spoken directly to the homeroom teacher? As a celebrity, posting this publicly on your story feels like you're asking people to criticize the daycare along with you," Ayane replied, "I didn't have any negative feelings toward the daycare teachers, nor did I think they were wrong. I just posted it because I was a bit upset. I'm very sorry to the daycare teachers. I should have thought more carefully about the possibility of it being covered in the news."

Although Ayane openly expressed her frustration toward the daycare, she insisted she never forced anything, maintaining a contradictory stance throughout and leaving a bitter impression. She said, "'My standard' is not necessarily an absolute standard that everyone must follow. Isn't the daycare a shared living space? If it's not a medical issue directly affecting life, I should have been more cautious about discussing this publicly." In response, she added, "That's right! I never once knew everything or actually forced my standards on others. I just posted it because I was a bit upset. I am a private individual, but as the wife of a public figure, I realized again that I should have considered the possibility of it being covered in the news before posting."

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*This content was translated by AI.