Month: September 2024

Essay on Values Education (Empathy)

Post author By system
Post date 01/09/2024

Parenting Tips

September 2024

by Dr. Cheuk Wong Wing Sze

Recently, with the unstable weather and frequent rain, I encountered a group of high school students waiting in line for the bus. To my surprise, one female student was without an umbrella, looking very disheveled. Quickly, I shared my umbrella with her. They were all in the same school uniform, possibly not well-acquainted with each other, yet seeing a fellow student in such a state, I wondered why no one else was willing to share their umbrella with her. This incident reminded me of the importance of fostering empathy from a young age.

1. Empathy as the Foundation

American psychologist Daniel Goleman, in his book “Working with Emotional Intelligence,” points out that the ability to handle interpersonal relationships is based on empathy. By trying to perceive the needs of others and caring about their perspectives, one can understand their viewpoints, recognize their emotions, respond to their feelings, and enhance their own empathy. In essence, stronger empathy leads to better interpersonal relationships, and vice versa.

2. Recognizing Others’ Emotions

Through perspective-taking, understanding others’ emotions and thoughts is essential for empathizing and problem-solving from their standpoint. It is crucial to educate children from a young age to first recognize their own emotions. In Asian communities, emotions are often more reserved, with a wide range beyond just happy or sad. Teaching children that emotions are neither good nor bad but have appropriate and inappropriate ways of handling them is vital. For instance, it’s okay to feel angry, and when angry, expressing it to someone is acceptable, but resorting to violence is not. Understanding one’s emotions from a young age facilitates empathy towards others and gradually nurtures empathy.

3. Perceiving Others’ Needs

In the bustling city of Hong Kong, where everyone is occupied, people often have their heads down engrossed in their phones, paying less attention to those around them. Teaching children to recognize their emotions and those of others from a young age helps them become more sensitive to the needs of others as they grow up.

I firmly believe that cultivating empathy in children from a young age is crucial. Recently, the Education Bureau has been advocating values education, which includes empathy. By fostering understanding of others’ feelings and needs from a young age, empathizing with others and putting oneself in their shoes, the world can become a better place.

Reference:

Daniel Goleman (1998). “Working with Emotional Intelligence.” Times Publishing Limited.

Parenting Tips

Writing Skills Mini Training

Post author By system
Post date 01/09/2024
No Comments on Writing Skills Mini Training

Parenting Tips

September 2024

Article by Mr. Cheng Wai-keung, Psychological Counselor at the Infant and Toddler Psychological Development Association.

During the writing training session, Mr. Cheng Wai-keung, a psychological counselor from the Infant and Toddler Psychological Development Association, mentioned the common struggles children face when learning to write in K2.

“He can never write within the lines, everything ends up ‘flying’!”

“His letters always go beyond the boxes; usually, one letter ‘bullies’ two boxes!”

“He often skips lines or boxes while writing.”

“It seems like he lacks strength when writing, the writing is so light that it’s almost invisible!”

These are typical scenarios many children encounter when learning to write in K2. Writing requires a combination of various skills, with the most basic being the strength and flexibility of the small finger muscles (fine motor skills). Insufficient training in fine motor skills can lead to issues like weak or shaky handwriting. So, how can parents handle and train their children in this aspect? It’s simple—start by letting them play with clay, playdough, flour, and other similar materials from a young age.

Furthermore, visual spatial awareness and eye control are also crucial for handwriting. Engaging in general ball activities is excellent for training these skills. Tracking the ball visually and making contact (or kicking) the ball is a natural and fun way to practice. Additionally, activities like spot the difference games (finding variances in two pictures) and maze games (first visually finding the way out, then connecting the lines with a pen) can also enhance eye control abilities.

Hand-eye coordination is vital during handwriting practice and should not be overlooked! Activities like bean bag tossing, fishing games, pouring water exercises, and paper cutting can greatly improve hand-eye coordination.

When should these games be introduced, and how long should they be practiced daily? Ideally, parents can start playing these games with their children when they understand and are capable of playing. It’s crucial to base the duration of play on the child’s willingness. If a child loses interest, parents should switch activities rather than enforcing a specific time frame. The author believes that through daily play, children can naturally acquire skills, preventing issues from arising, rather than resorting to remedial exercises. Otherwise, even the most enjoyable games can become tedious and burdensome, leading to more suffering than enjoyment.

Parenting Tips

Childhood severe myopia: Parents should not neglect it. The more you strain to see, the more it impedes learning and growth.

Post author By system
Post date 01/09/2024

Parenting Tips

September 2024

Written by:Dr. Chan Shun Kit, Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist at Glorious Hospital

It is very common for children in Hong Kong to need to wear glasses due to myopia. Since myopia can affect children’s lives and learning, parents need to understand how to deal with it and seek medical attention early to control the progression of myopia, preventing it from worsening. Doctors remind parents to pay attention to the details of their children’s vision in daily life to check for any abnormalities. If needed, myopia control eye drops or suitable glasses can be used to correct vision. For children with severe myopia, close monitoring is even more essential.

Dr. Chan Shun Kit, Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist at Glorious Hospital, stated, “High myopia” refers to myopia of over 600 degrees: “The longer the eyeball is stretched, the more severe the myopia becomes. The average length of a human eyeball is about 22 to 25 millimeters. For every millimeter of elongation, myopia may worsen by around 300 degrees. If myopia reaches 800 degrees or above, the risk of complications such as cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachment increases. For children with severe myopia, the primary goal for parents is to prevent the degree from continuously deepening, as the impacts on various aspects of growth can be long-lasting.”

Improving Lifestyle Habits to Control Myopia

If a child’s myopia has progressed to the point of affecting their daily life and learning, parents can adapt by seeking appropriate treatment for their children. Dr. Chan mentions four methods to control the progression of myopia. The first method involves using “myopia control eye drops,” which use low-concentration doses to manage myopia, suitable for children’s use once a day. However, this is not a “miracle cure”; after using the eye drops, improvements in lifestyle habits or wearing glasses are still necessary to correct vision. Parents can also consider a combination approach tailored to their child’s situation, incorporating both myopia control eye drops and wearing defocus glasses.

The second method involves wearing defocus glasses, which place the image in front of the retina to slow down the elongation of the eye axis in myopic patients. The third and fourth methods involve wearing defocus contact lenses (hard lenses) or (soft lenses), typically recommended for children aged 7 and above. Hard lenses require daily cleaning, while soft lenses need daily replacement to reduce the risk of bacterial infections.

Dr. Chan mentions a case of a 6-year-old child with 200-degree myopia; the parents thought it was okay to delay glasses for a few more years, but during this time, the child’s vision continued to deteriorate, impacting their learning. He advises parents that if a child has myopia, early intervention is crucial, as the notion that “wearing glasses too early is bad for children” is a misconception.

*Note:

Dr. Chan emphasizes that there are various approaches to slowing the progression of myopia, each with different effectiveness, side effects, and risks. Parents should discuss with doctors to choose the most suitable treatment plan based on their child’s health and specific vision issues.