Overworked and 'under played'? Ending kids' summertime blues

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Parent-child communication plays a crucial role in the process of a child's growth, experts said. When it comes to extra classes, parents must respect the child's academic needs, interests, and wishes.

"Some parents discuss course enrollment matters with their child, while also considering the child's ability to handle pressure. However, others disregard their child's willingness to enroll, and force them to take classes simply because the neighbor's child achieved good results," Sun said, adding that a good relationship is important for a child to be willing to listen to parental advice.

Children who spend a lot of time in tutoring institutions may lose time for parent-child interactions, which can lead to distant relationships, he warned.

"Sending a child to tutoring classes lasting an entire day seems to lighten parents' burden, but it means giving up the opportunity to build an intimate relationship with their child for time spent with teachers," said Sun.

Many families focus on pushing their child to improve their academic performance because they define success narrowly, some sociologists said. However, parents should not force their child to learn things against their will, and should allow for different development paths, they said.

Huang said every child has a different direction in life, and the development of society and national strength require a diversity of talent. Some children may not be suited for STEM learning or research, but they can explore other fields and make contributions to society.

Jin suggested that parents should spend more time and energy on self-improvement rather than interfering with their children's choices. Moreover, they should avoid frequently using discouraging words, which stems from a lack of trust in a child.

She said no one inherently desires to be unsuccessful, and just like lions in the wild, everyone desires "good hunting and health". However, if a child is constantly criticized, they may start believing they are not good at anything, hindering their natural inclination to excel. That child will eventually lose confidence and give up on themselves, she said.

"It's so important that parents have belief in their children to follow their own paths to have a good future. Whether they become a chef or a flutist, there'll be opportunities," said Jin.

"By instilling confidence in their children and recognizing their inherent abilities, children will learn to manage themselves. Such empowerment will naturally lead to their vitality, allowing them to grow into individuals who are admired, kind, capable, and empathetic," she said.