Don’t push children to the limit, Lanang MP advises parents

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(From second left) So, Chiew, Nurfatimah, Ngian and others give their thumbs up to the event.

SIBU: Many parents arrange full-time after-school learning for their children, to ensure they grow up to become successful in life.

In stating this, Lanang member of parliament Alice Lau believes it is because of love that parents expect their children to be excellent and to be able to make a difference in the future.

“However, if you want to learn something useful and learn well, we must do it right.  I also found that some parents have arranged too much learning for the children which is constantly compressing their time.

“This practice of imposing the will of the adults on the children is obviously not what they want, and it is easy to make mistakes,” she said in her address at the opening ceremony of Sibu District children colouring contest organised by Sibu Mental Health Association (SMHA) in collaboration with Neighbourhood Committee of Pasai Teku that was held at Sing Kwong shopping complex here yesterday in conjunction
with the World Mental Health Day.

A total of 157 children took part in the contest, which was divided into kindergarten and primary one to three categories.

Lau was represented by her personal assistant Stanley Chiew who read out her Mandarin text of speech.

The MP believes that in the process of children’s growth and learning, parent-child relationships often play a key role in shaping their future personality, adding it was found that many social problems came from unsound families.

While commending the organisers for hosting the event, which is a practical programme for family and social development, she said she knew very well that because of the economic needs, many families had become double-income families.

“Thus parents seldom have enough time to train and see their children grow and learn. Today (yesterday) provides this opportunity. You spend your time with your children and strengthen parent-child relationships, at the same time, cultivating children’s interest in painting and creation which will promote their spiritual health and inspire children’s understanding of beauty and art.

“I want to emphasise that the competition for young children should not be regarded as a contest or a competition between parents.

“In the process of growing up, encouraging children to stand up from failure and continue to play is the right way to shape their personality,” she advised.

“Encourage children to complete an event with their persistence and ambition, and train them to be independent,” she added.

Also present were Sibu Unity officer Siti Nurfatimah Hussen, Sibu hospital director Ngian Hie Ung and chairman of SMHA, Kapitan So Teck Kee.