The dangers of doting parents
I think parents dote on their children too much. The problem is getting more serious. It's really not good for the children.
Too many children enjoy a high standard of life from the moment they were born.
The result is they rely on their parents for all their comforts. They are unable to stand on their own feet.
Children who solve their own problems tend to be more resourceful. This is important in life.
I know it's not easy to change people's ways overnight, but I think travelling on their own is one way teenagers can learn to be independent. At the same time they can broaden their horizons.
Mo Pik-sai, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College
From the Editor
Thank you, Pik-sai, for your very insightful letter. It is entirely true that many of Hong Kong's children have a very easy life, in some respects.
It is natural for parents to want to spare their children any pain or hardship. Yet you are right, when you say they will never learn to stand on their own two feet.
Children who have not gone through problems do not know how to be happy, or satisfied. They are not prepared for the disappointment which will surely come to them in life. They are also not prepared for hard times.
Hopefully, though, our readers will continue to challenge themselves. That way they will learn to take life in their stride.
Susan, Editor
