Hongkongers back in school to learn how to be better parents, whether their children are three or 13
Today’s children are growing up in a very different world, and some parents are struggling to cope. Schools offer parenting courses to share knowledge and offer non-judgmental advice on raising happy, well-adjusted children
Like most first-time parents navigating unfamiliar territory, Dianne and her husband have sometimes felt alone and overwhelmed. Their families live far away from Hong Kong and most of their friends have older children. So when their three-year-old daughter began to test their authority, the confused couple soon found themselves locking horns with her.
Help finally came in the form of a parenting course hosted by the International Montessori School (IMS) in Tai Tam, on the south side of Hong Kong Island.
We finally figured out that things were so much more pleasant when everyone’s basic needs were met first
The course, “Conscious and Effective Parenting”, taught by parent, educator and author Katherine Sellery, was offered to IMS parents to help them communicate effectively and resolve conflicts with their children, says Dianne (who asked to remain anonymous), an artist and stay-at-home mother.
“We learned to break out of the ‘I am the grown-up, listen to me’ mindset, and to respect the child’s needs and feelings through active listening so we can come up with a kinder solution for everyone,” she says. “Angry and frustrated messes where everyone was blaming someone else in the family became realisations of, ‘oh, so that’s what this was really all about.’
“Sunday mornings would often be chaotic at our household, until we finally figured out that things were so much more pleasant when everyone’s basic needs were met first.”
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Dianne liked how the course dovetailed nicely with the school’s philosophy. The eight-week course was conveniently offered on campus during her daughter’s school hours at the IMS Casa dei Bambini kindergarten; and she enjoyed the opportunity to bond with other parents.
