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Jun 2026 Reminder
Month: June 2026
Written by: Mr. Chiu Wing Tak, Senior Education Specialist
When parents take their children to an interview, the most nerve-wracking moment is when the teacher asks the child a question, and the child sits there speechless, like a wooden dummy. When parents ask me afterward why such an embarrassing scene occurred, my answer is four words: “Not enough preparation!”
“Really? It’s just a kindergarten interview, why prepare?”
To this “modern” parent, I smiled and explained in detail: “Generally, children feel anxious and nervous when meeting strangers for the first time. If parents do not explain the reason for the school interview at home and just say they are going to play at school or chat with an auntie, the child will feel uneasy. This so-called auntie is clearly asking some ‘private’ questions, such as ‘What is your name?’, ‘How old are you?’, ‘Who brought you here?’, ‘What vehicle did you take?’, ‘Who usually takes you to and from school?’. Therefore, the child will panic and may even remain silent! So, isn’t it normal for the child not to speak?”
“I understand. So, Mr. Zhao, how should we prepare the child?”
Why is politeness so important? Because it shows whether the child has been well-taught at home.
“I will teach you in two parts. This time, we will talk about ‘psychological preparation,’ and next time, we will discuss practical preparation. There are four aspects to psychological preparation:
- Dress Appropriately
What counts as dressing appropriately? Boys should wear collared shirts, and girls should wear dresses. A collar indicates refinement, and a dress is generally accepted attire by principals and teachers. As long as the colors are not too flashy and the clothes are clean and neat, it shows appropriateness. Clothing affects the teacher’s impression, so be careful with what the child wears!
- Politeness and Good Manners
Why is politeness so important? Because it reflects whether a child has been well-taught at home. How do you train a child to be polite? The methods are: (1) Parents themselves must be polite first; (2) Practice daily, consistently greeting people with “Good morning!” and saying “Bye-bye!” when leaving, greeting with “Hello!” when meeting someone, saying “Thank you!” when receiving a gift, and saying “Please” when asking for help. Over time, these habits will become second nature, and your child will become a polite person.
- Confidence
The training method is to encourage the child to take action. If the child wants to take a photo with the mascot at Ocean Park, encourage them to ask for it themselves. If they need the minibus to stop at the street corner, encourage them to loudly say, “Please stop at the corner!” With regular practice, the child will naturally become confident.
- Answering Questions
Tell your child that they must answer the questions posed by the teacher, as it is a sign of politeness. As for how to answer, we will discuss that next time.
Written by: Aunty Anne Parents Station
When a man and a woman meet, get to know each other, and fall in love, they then get married and start their own family. Husband and wife promise to love and respect each other regardless of the circumstances, and their marital relationship naturally becomes the foundation of the family.
The arrival of children completes the family structure, but also makes the situation more complex: from the original couple relationship, it evolves into parent-child and grandparent-grandchild relationships. When facing the well-being of the children, everyone has their own opinions and positions, and blending them is not an easy task.
If we think carefully, we will understand that although husband and wife are the same two people, the two roles have different needs and considerations. The addition of a young child makes the couple cautiously take on the parental identity, which is laborious but also filled with sweetness. Infants are fragile and dependent, so parents naturally focus all their attention on protecting and caring for the child, inevitably neglecting the needs of their partner and even themselves, which is understandable.
However, the all-encompassing protective net that parents cast during the infant and toddler stage does not recede as the child grows up, allowing the child to forge their own path in life. Modern families idolise the children and let them dominate the family’s operations, overshadowing the spousal relationship. Spouses can no longer get the understanding and gratitude they expect from each other, and the relationship gradually fades or drifts apart. In this ironic situation, the “third party” that harms the marital relationship is the couple’s own child.
Worse still, a harmonious family relationship is the most important element for a child’s healthy, happy, and positive growth. Facing the discord between parents, children are often dragged into this vortex, trying to balance the relationship and shouldering emotions that do not belong to them. Children do not know how to handle and release these worries, and their emotions and behaviours will develop problems, but parents can only ask the children to focus on their studies, thinking this is the children’s responsibility. Children, however, worry all day long that the family is falling apart, so what’s the use of studying! This is a vivid portrayal of the modern family issue.
“Parents should be closer to each other than to the children,” to implement the original intention of building the family through mutual understanding and love. Remember that children are only temporary guests in the family, and one day they will leave the nest to establish their own homes. In the end, the husband and wife will only have each other left, so cherishing the partner and not forgetting the original intention are the keys to weathering the ups and downs and walking together until old age.