鸡娃? Chicken child??
This is the wacky new term I learned from 《中国井点》episode on kiasu parents in China. These parents pack their child’s schedule to the absolute brim with tuition and enrichment classes. The kids brought up under this intensive parenting style are called 鸡娃 or chicken children, and this method of parenting is called 打鸡血 or injecting chicken blood.
There’s this 6-year old girl, and from the age of three, her parents have sent her to countless classes such as drama, ballet, abacus, piano, modelling etc, and spent more than SGD$ 24k on these classes for her!
打鸡血/ Inject chicken blood?
Injecting chicken blood was a dubious health fad in the 1960s. Injecting chicken blood directly was touted as a cure-all for illnesses and energy booster. Squirm. People took the immediate reddish complexion from the injection as a sign of good health.
What I think of the 打鸡血 parenting style
Like this chicken blood health practice that has long been debunked, I feel that this intensive way of bringing up kids shouldn’t be the way to go. I am all for exposing my boys to different experiences and equipping them with a variety of skills, and signing them up for selected enrichment classes is part of the wide exposure I want to give them. But overloading them with classes is another thing altogether. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing!
I let my boys be bored
There is no need to organize or maximize every minute of your child’s time. In fact, it can be very counterproductive if it leads to an overwhelmed and stressed-out child (not to mention financially-strained parents). Letting children have unstructured time is important. After all, research has shown that boredom is very important for creativity!
Unlike the 鸡娃 girl in the video who looked so sad when she said that she envies other children who get to play, my boys definitely have enough time for free play. Let’s not rob our children of their childhood.
Quality time with parents is the most important for children
Before you pack your child’s schedule with classes after classes, consider the fact that quality time and interaction with our children is irreplaceable for their well-being. Also, more than anything, moral and character education in children is the most important, and I believe there is no enrichment class for this, but it is a matter for us parents to lead by example.
Don’t make kids feel that they are never good enough
The kaisu and win-at-all-costs mentality of 打鸡血parents might not the most conducive for a harmonious parent-child relationship too. Such parents also tend to compare their kids’ achievements with other kids’, making kids feel like they are never good enough.
Enrichment opportunities are everywhere not just in classes
《中国井点》is a series of short videos on trends and issues in China produced by 《8视界新闻》. I find the videos very engaging (just 3 mins) and good for watching and discussing with my elder boy who is in Primary 4. Together, we increase our China-savviness and Mandarin. Try this fun and free enrichment activity together with your kids too.
When even angmohs are China-savvy and speak perfect mandarin (such as famous investor Jim Rogers’ daughters), I believe Chinese Singaporeans need to 加油！Add oil💪！
Watch 《中国井点》and win $200 vouchers
Two new episodes of《中国井点》will be released each week. And at the end of each video, there will be a question, answer it to win $200 vouchers! There are 8 x $200 vouchers to be won every week for 4 weeks (i.e. total $6.400 worth of prizes).To participate, watch the video, take note of the question at the end, then submit your answers according to the instructions on the contest page.
You can also watch 《中国井点》by downloading the 8world (《8视界》app on your smartphone to watch anytime, anywhere!
Let’s Talk About Influencers
On @lemonfilmblog Facebook page, I will be hosting a Facebook Watch Party with 8world News on 25 February 2021 (Thursday) at 8:30 pm. With talented hosts Youyi and Angel Lim, the discussion will revolve around influencers. Interested in this topic? I will see you at the Facebook Watch Party!
