Blowing Water | Hong Kong parents: an hour a day of playtime is your child’s right and a critical part of well-being
- Are we raising children to be happy or to fulfil our preconceived notions of success?
How often do you hear parents telling their children, “it’s for your own good”?
We all want the best for our children, because we want them to follow their dreams, be successful, and ultimately find happiness. But do we really know how to raise a happy child?
Some parents’ definition of happiness is closely related to financial success because they believe it is part and parcel of attaining a comfortable life, which they assume is a contributory factor to being happy. This means they often place emphasis on raising a “successful” child rather than a happy one. As a result, parents often exercise an unnecessary amount of control over their children’s lives.
But if you ask me what makes a child happy, I say it is most important to provide a carefree, non-judgmental environment that allows a child the time and space to be, well, a child. This means encouraging them to embrace and enjoy a genuine childhood. And the right way to go about this is to give them sufficient playtime.
According to Unicef, a child needs more than an hour of daily playtime. That means genuine interaction with peers and total freedom to decide how they want to spend it, without adult interference. It must also be emphasised that quality playtime does not include being glued to electronic devices.
