EdUHK Promotes Harmonious Family Relationships for Holistic Child Development
About 200 families joined the “100 Parents 2019 Family Day”, organised by the Integrated Centre for Wellbeing (I-WELL) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) on 1 December 2019, to learn how to help their children face challenges through positive parent-child interaction.
Sharing their views with the audience were Ms Zandra Mok Yee-tuen, Project Manager and Speech Therapist of I-WELL, Mr Chu Tsz-wing, Chief Headmaster of VNSAA St. Hilary’s School and St. Hilary’s Primary School, and celebrity Ms Josephine Ng.
Ms Ng said, “Parents may be busy with work and family duties, but they should not lose sight of the importance of spending quality time with their children. Maintaining a good parent-child relationship will give them a true taste of happiness, which can be developed into a long-term mutually beneficial experience for the whole family.”
Mr Chu encouraged parents to cultivate essential core values during their children’s childhood and adolescence, rather than spending time micro-managing their academic work. Ms Mok introduced some effective family communication skills for parents, including listening well, listening fast, and sharing their life stories with their children. Speaking of her own childcare experience, Ms Mok emphasised that love and empathy are crucial contributors to the development of a positive parent-child relationship.
In addition to the sharing slots, a child development workshop and play sessions were organised for children to learn about creative problem-solving skills and enjoy the lively sharing of picture books. They were also involved in stretching exercises through a series of experiential lessons, such as STEM and handicraft.
“100 Parents 2019 Family Day” was co-organised by the “Sporty Fun” Working Group of Tai Po North District Local Committee on Services for Young People of the Social Welfare Department, I-WELL, and the Associations of Heads of Secondary Schools in the Tai Po and North districts. It is the second programme in the “100 Parent” series. The key objective of their work this year is to enhance public awareness of the importance of family harmony and mental health, under the themes of sports, family, understanding and networking. I-WELL was also invited to host in-depth parent workshops in January 2020 as an extension of the event to help parents master positive parenting.
