https://www.scmp.com/rss/29/feed Family and relationship news and features, including advice and comment. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Michaeleen Doucleff set out to examine her and her family’s relationship to – reliance on, really – screens and junk food. Why was she checking texts at every stop sign when biking with her daughter, Rosy? Why was she mindlessly devouring Pringles crisps? Why did Rosy impatiently count the minutes to nightly cartoons from the moment she got home? When was the last time they ate a whole food? At the beginning of her reckoning, Doucleff prepared herself for a lesson in willpower. If she was going... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3350945/your-family-addicted-screens-and-junk-food-how-change-their-habits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3350945/your-family-addicted-screens-and-junk-food-how-change-their-habits?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:15:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. All 7 are dentists and hot. The Asian-American family blowing up social media The Chen family shot to social media stardom over their shared career, good looks and closeness – all achieved without tiger parenting. 2. Hainanese chicken rice origins and its versions in Singapore, Malaysia and more With roots in Hainan’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350267/asian-american-family-hot-dentists-hainan-chicken-rice-roots-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350267/asian-american-family-hot-dentists-hainan-chicken-rice-roots-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:45:08 +0000 Tara Loader Wilkinson Tara Loader Wilkinson To lose a baby is unthinkable. To do so during the Covid-19 pandemic, in isolation from your husband, family and friends, is the twist of the knife. But this was the fate of Keya Wingfield, a Mumbai-born, US-based Food Network champion chef. She gave birth to her second child, son Daksh, in February 2021. “He was sick from the get-go,” she remembers. “They just couldn’t figure it out.” Daksh’s lungs were failing him, and he spent his short life – 55 days – in a neonatal intensive care unit. He... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3349480/she-was-102kg-diabetic-death-wish-after-losing-40kg-shes-thriving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3349480/she-was-102kg-diabetic-death-wish-after-losing-40kg-shes-thriving?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Having one doctor in the family is impressive enough. But what about seven? Meet the Chens. Heading the household are Dr Leon Chen, a dental implant pioneer, and Dr Jennifer Cha, a co-founder of an international clinic chain. Their five children – Nina, Audree, Niq, Aleq and Nasdaq – all practise dentistry. They came to attention online three years ago when Niq started posting his personal vlogs, a form of visual diary, on YouTube and TikTok. The vlogs occasionally offered a glimpse into his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3349527/all-7-are-dentists-and-hot-meet-asian-american-family-blowing-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3349527/all-7-are-dentists-and-hot-meet-asian-american-family-blowing-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Update: Pitt Cheung passed away peacefully in hospital on April 26, 2026. Hong Kong hairstylist Pitt Cheung Kwok-wai’s life took a sharp turn in 2020 when he was diagnosed with stage 3 nasopharyngeal cancer at the age of 38. “We never had cancer or serious illness in our family before, so it was very shocking,” Cheung says. Having treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic made the experience even more isolating, as it was difficult for friends and family members to visit him in hospital as he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3349452/hong-kong-hairstylists-cancer-battle-takes-him-and-his-brother-crowdfunding-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3349452/hong-kong-hairstylists-cancer-battle-takes-him-and-his-brother-crowdfunding-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:15:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu In the fifth of a series on challenges facing Hong Kong’s growing autistic population, Charmaine Yu meets autistic twin violinists and their mother to learn how they found their voice through music. While twin brothers Hugo and Jayden Pang often struggle to navigate a world of words, the violin provides a language in which they are always understood. Turning 26 this month, the brothers have traded early struggles in communication for international stages, proving that in Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3349210/how-autistic-hong-kong-violinist-twins-found-joy-and-confidence-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3349210/how-autistic-hong-kong-violinist-twins-found-joy-and-confidence-music?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Tara Loader Wilkinson Tara Loader Wilkinson In the third of a series on challenges facing Hong Kong’s growing autistic population, Tara Loader Wilkinson speaks with a mother of an autistic son who found a simple way to help boost acceptance of neurodivergent people, and a filmmaker who is giving them a voice. Sometimes the small things make the biggest difference. So it was with 12-year-old Alexander Talos Schaus, who was born in Hong Kong and diagnosed with autism at the age of three. He is largely non-speaking; he communicates with... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348508/how-hong-kong-mother-autistic-son-helping-others-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348508/how-hong-kong-mother-autistic-son-helping-others-him?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:15:07 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan In the second of a series on challenges facing Hong Kong’s growing autistic population, Anthea Rowan examines the complexities of the autism spectrum, from the latest gut-health research to the move from awareness towards acceptance. While at university studying psychology and theatre, Dr Amanda Oswalt Visher worked with a three-year-old non-speaking autistic boy at an early childhood intervention centre. She noticed his movements were not random but followed a consistent pattern. To communicate... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348374/what-autism-understanding-spectrum-gut-brain-connection-masking-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348374/what-autism-understanding-spectrum-gut-brain-connection-masking-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Retired civil engineer Lim Shyang Guey will don his running shoes on March 28 for a 2,200km (1,367-mile) journey around Peninsular Malaysia. The 90-day “Run for Gold” campaign is Lim’s attempt to finish a gruelling circuit by June 22 – his 67th birthday. The inspiration for this challenge comes from profound loss. In November 2023, Lim and his wife, Goh Joo Lee, were celebrating her completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Half Marathon – her first ever race. But soon after, she began to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347978/66-year-old-sets-2200km-run-around-peninsular-malaysia-honour-his-wife?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347978/66-year-old-sets-2200km-run-around-peninsular-malaysia-honour-his-wife?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 84th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. I did not recognise the signs of dementia developing in mum – the changes in her walking, her frequent need to urinate, her difficulty in swallowing – until quite late. Looking back, I see how they developed one after another. Nearly 80 per cent of all dementias are caused by Alzheimer’s disease. The hallmark of this is the abnormal deposit of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3345912/dementia-can-be-hard-spot-signs-pay-attention-trouble-eating-fitful-sleep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3345912/dementia-can-be-hard-spot-signs-pay-attention-trouble-eating-fitful-sleep?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:15:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters When Homo sapiens trekked out of Africa, they encountered Neanderthal populations already inhabiting the vast expanses of Europe, Asia ⁠and the Middle East. As the presence of Neanderthal DNA in most present-day people shows, interbreeding occurred, though the circumstances have remained unclear. New research focusing on the X chromosome, one of the two sex chromosomes, in present-day people and, as revealed by ancient genomes, in Neanderthals, is providing insight into who took part in these... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3345091/sex-between-neanderthal-men-and-homo-sapiens-women-drove-our-genetic-make-today-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3345091/sex-between-neanderthal-men-and-homo-sapiens-women-drove-our-genetic-make-today-study?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu It is 9.30pm in Scarborough, in Canada’s Ontario province, and just as most people are thinking of getting ready for bed, 28-year-old Anna Peng is about to get back to work – after already having put in a 13-hour shift. She has just closed Great Fountain Fast Food, her family’s beloved Hong Kong-style eatery, for the day, and now it is time for cleaning up. “I first started doing two-hour shifts at Great Fountain while I was still in school, just to help out my mum,” she says. That was the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3345070/meet-family-running-great-fountain-fast-food-hong-kong-style-spot-viral-instagram?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3345070/meet-family-running-great-fountain-fast-food-hong-kong-style-spot-viral-instagram?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Are your loved ones in luck this year? See our predictions for all the zodiac signs in the Year of the Horse. The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month in the lunisolar calendar, which is on March 3 this year, and marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. It is the first night of the new year to see a full moon, thus symbolising the return of spring and family unity. The festival’s roots stretch back more than 2,000 years to the Han dynasty (206BC-AD220),... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3344671/what-lantern-festival-plus-6-ways-celebrate-it-hong-kong-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3344671/what-lantern-festival-plus-6-ways-celebrate-it-hong-kong-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 23:15:12 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Mui Thomas is, by any measure, a remarkable woman. Now 33, she is believed to be the world’s fourth-oldest survivor of Harlequin ichthyosis. This extremely rare genetic disorder causes the body to be covered with thick plates of skin – a condition so severe that when Mui was born in Hong Kong in 1992, it was considered universally fatal. She has survived medical emergencies that would have killed lesser fighters. Despite her ongoing health struggles, she has become a rugby coach, a certified... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344406/parents-hong-kongs-girl-behind-face-share-their-story-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344406/parents-hong-kongs-girl-behind-face-share-their-story-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 03:00:10 +0000 Sasha Gonzales Sasha Gonzales The passion that black belt holder Lily Chan has for teaching aikido at her family’s Singapore school shines through in her classes. She has been training in the Japanese martial art for more than a decade, and is proud to be a part of the “dojo” founded by her oldest son, Shamus, and husband, Patrick. Aikido was developed by Japanese martial artist Morihei Ueshiba in the early 20th century. This modern, non-aggressive and unique form of self-defence focuses on harmony and non-violent conflict... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3343703/73-year-old-singaporean-aikido-black-belt-only-started-learning-her-60s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3343703/73-year-old-singaporean-aikido-black-belt-only-started-learning-her-60s?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 03:00:07 +0000 The Asian Parent The Asian Parent Can watching a film actually make you feel calmer, more optimistic and even more purposeful? Science says yes – and Spirited Away might be one of those films that do exactly that. A new study published in JMIR Serious Games, a peer-reviewed journal exploring how entertainment and interactive media affect well-being, revealed that certain forms of media, like Studio Ghibli films and video games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, can significantly boost happiness and life... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3342888/want-feel-happier-watch-spirited-away-or-play-zelda-new-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3342888/want-feel-happier-watch-spirited-away-or-play-zelda-new-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 07:15:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Doing something romantic for Valentine’s Day does not need to involve a heart-shaped box of chocolates, roses or an expensive dinner, according to relationship experts. In fact, therapists encourage couples craving intimacy and a deeper connection to focus less on grand gestures and more on expressing love with mundane acts that recognise what matters to their partner. Romance is not one size fits all. For some people, it means holding hands, opening a car door or running a bath for their lover.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3342897/how-keep-romance-alive-after-valentines-day-coffee-bed-funny-text?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3342897/how-keep-romance-alive-after-valentines-day-coffee-bed-funny-text?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:15:12 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu In Hong Kong, space is a luxury – and so is romance. For high-achieving professionals in one of the world’s most expensive cities, searching for “the one” is less a fairy-tale pursuit than an exhausting side hustle on top of their already gruelling schedules. Across the globe, singles are also now battling “dating app fatigue”. A Forbes Health Survey published in 2025 found that 78 per cent of dating app users feel burned out from fruitless cycles of swiping. Where does Hong Kong turn to when... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3342870/why-dating-hong-kong-so-hard-and-how-people-are-spending-thousands-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3342870/why-dating-hong-kong-so-hard-and-how-people-are-spending-thousands-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press People use music to set moods and evoke positive memories. The right song at the right time can have similar effects on dogs. Pet owners, trainers and animal shelter workers sometimes use music as a training tool, a distraction from triggers, and to create a relaxing environment for dogs kept in kennels or left alone at home. But researchers say the effects vary based on dogs’ temperament, the setting, the type of tune and the volume at which it is played. Social media videos show dogs howling... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3342088/do-dogs-music-experts-weigh-how-it-affects-furry-friends-and-what-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3342088/do-dogs-music-experts-weigh-how-it-affects-furry-friends-and-what-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak For Marian Ang, becoming a first-time parent and transforming fully into a “mother” were two entirely different experiences. It was the birth of her second son about a year ago that prompted the artist to truly think about what it means to be a mother, as well as the legacies passed down through the women in her family. “Motherhood really tears you apart and reshapes you. With the first child, you’re still clinging onto your old identity; with the second, you’re completely breaking apart,” says... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3340934/hong-kong-artist-marian-ang-explores-motherhood-and-family-legacies-new-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3340934/hong-kong-artist-marian-ang-explores-motherhood-and-family-legacies-new-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 81st instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. My mother often used to wonder whether she was on a ship. As we gazed across the lawn at home, she would ask, “Am I on a ship?” Sometimes it was her first question when she woke in the morning. “Is this my cabin?” she would ask as she looked around her. “I used to share it with somebody. I wonder where she’s gone.” Or: “Will we dock soon?” I used to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3340853/when-dementia-makes-finding-right-words-hard-what-carers-need-know?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3340853/when-dementia-makes-finding-right-words-hard-what-carers-need-know?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:15:16 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang For 11 years after graduating from high school, a 28-year-old woman from a village in Lushan county in the central Chinese province of Henan had fought against pressure from her parents to get married. By her own account, the woman, locally reported as Wei and a history teacher at Lushan’s top high school, had quarrelled, “gone crazy” and even made threats with a knife. Her fight ended on December 10, when she wrote her last post on WeChat and jumped from the seventh floor of what was to be her... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340590/china-pressure-women-marry-deadly-serious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340590/china-pressure-women-marry-deadly-serious?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu The first time Tricia Yap was hit hard in the face, she did more than survive – she strategised. She was not in a dark alley, nor a playground fight. She was in a white-collar boxing event in Hong Kong that, together with the months of training beforehand, was supposed to be a lighthearted distraction from her job as a tax technology consultant. After engaging in this “Hedge Fund Fight Nite” competition, a fundraising event for charity, she was hooked. On top of her boxing training, she also... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3336574/why-hong-kongs-first-pro-female-mma-fighter-now-battles-womens-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3336574/why-hong-kongs-first-pro-female-mma-fighter-now-battles-womens-health?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to spend money on gifts, parties and travel this holiday season? If you are feeling financially strained, know that you are not the only one feeling that way, says Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a social worker and therapist based in the US state of Michigan who has certifications in financial therapy and the trauma of money. To avoid putting additional pressure on your finances, use the holidays as a time to be extra mindful of how you spend. Remember that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3336441/how-avoid-financial-stress-holiday-season-expert-tips-budgeting-saying-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3336441/how-avoid-financial-stress-holiday-season-expert-tips-budgeting-saying-no?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Mother-of-two Samantha Waterhouse thrived during her pregnancies – they were times when she was most comfortable in her body. “I didn’t have any aches or pains like some women do, so I felt lucky that it was a time in my life that I really enjoyed,” says the Hong Kong-based South African, who has two girls: Ella, aged four, and Izzy, two. “And I loved the look and feel of my round tummy.” She loved her baby bump so much that she considered getting a bespoke pregnancy sculpture. Such keepsakes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3335694/want-3d-pregnancy-sculpture-why-hong-kong-based-mother-helps-women-get-theirs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3335694/want-3d-pregnancy-sculpture-why-hong-kong-based-mother-helps-women-get-theirs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Sydney teenager Ayris Tolson believes the start of her first summer holiday under Australia’s youth social media ban will be relatively easy as she spends time with family, but as the weeks drift by, she fears being alone and isolated. From December 10, Australia will impose a world-first social media ban on under-16s, blocking them from TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. More than 1 million under-16s will lose their accounts and, nine days later, break for the long December-to-January holidays when... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335583/why-social-media-ban-australias-under-16s-may-isolate-teens-during-summer-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335583/why-social-media-ban-australias-under-16s-may-isolate-teens-during-summer-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo With more than 60 years of baking under his belt, 89-year-old pastry chef Yasuo Ono has a tried-and-true recipe for success: keep it simple and change with the times. Ono starts baking at his cake shop, Emily, every morning at 7.30am, making items like apple pie and Mont Blanc desserts. He will turn 90 this month, but he is not thinking of retiring. In early July, about 25 varieties of cakes, including seasonal offerings featuring peaches and mangoes as well as classic shortcakes, were displayed... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3334919/89-year-old-pastry-chefs-ingredient-success-working-his-son-and-grandson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3334919/89-year-old-pastry-chefs-ingredient-success-working-his-son-and-grandson?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 04:15:12 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott In a cosy corner of Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan neighbourhood is a new gathering space that is warm and welcoming. Giant cushions invite guests to kick back with a book or chill and chat over a can of kombucha. Hearts and minds are fully open at Queer Room, a new pop-up by Lisa Lam and Patricia Lam, the sisters behind Hong Kong kombucha label Taboocha, and Li Mei-ting, a cultural studies lecturer at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. For Li, Queer Room offers a change of pace. “I’m lecturing most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3333933/hong-kong-pop-queer-room-offers-alternative-individuals-place-connect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3333933/hong-kong-pop-queer-room-offers-alternative-individuals-place-connect?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 04:45:09 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan On a summer afternoon nine years ago, Mark Raymond Jr dove into Lake Pontchartrain in the US state of Louisiana. He had not realised how shallow it was – and felt his forehead hit the lake bottom. Three weeks later, he woke up from a medically induced coma, unable to use his legs or hands. Diving accidents are life-shattering – but not uncommon. They disproportionately affect young men: up to 97 per cent of diving-induced spinal cord injuries occur in males, and most are aged 15 to 29... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3333477/why-males-take-more-risks-and-how-promote-healthy-risk-taking-teens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3333477/why-males-take-more-risks-and-how-promote-healthy-risk-taking-teens?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters When bank clerk Ren Yingxiao was looking for a honeymoon destination with her partner, they came across a scenic spot in the Xinjiang region in mainland China that had it all – including a marriage registration office. “So we thought, why not go there and get our marriage certificate as well?” the 30-year-old said about secluded Sayram Lake, where authorities are trying to attract young Chinese to tie the knot as part of a nationwide push to boost marriage rates and ease the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3332171/want-wedding-nightclub-temple-lake-or-subway-station-china-you-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3332171/want-wedding-nightclub-temple-lake-or-subway-station-china-you-can?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Tara Loader Wilkinson Tara Loader Wilkinson The online world has opened a floodgate of sexual content for young people, often leaving their parents seeking relevant ways to talk about consent, boundaries and healthy relationships. For many, the first sign of trouble happens in their children’s bedrooms: walking in on them watching pornography, overhearing crude conversations with friends or noticing a sudden change in their attitude and behaviour. Relationship counsellor and certified clinical sexologist Dr Martha Tara Lee, based in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3331580/how-talk-children-and-teens-affected-early-exposure-sexual-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3331580/how-talk-children-and-teens-affected-early-exposure-sexual-content?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Ritu Hemnani Ritu Hemnani For thousands of Hong Kong professionals with ageing parents overseas, caregiving is not a daily routine, but a long-distance act of love, logistics and emotional labour. Angela Kaur Baura, a counsellor-in-training, made a quiet vow at her father’s bedside during what was meant to be a celebration of his and her mother’s 50th wedding anniversary. When he died suddenly, that promise – to care for her mother – became her compass. In the eight months since, she has shuttled between Hong Kong and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3331488/caring-elderly-parent-afar-free-hong-kong-group-therapy-helping-people-cope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3331488/caring-elderly-parent-afar-free-hong-kong-group-therapy-helping-people-cope?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 03:00:14 +0000 Sophie Li Sophie Li Eighty-year-old Wang Wanlin has no children of his own. However, over the past four decades, he has been called “Dad” by the hundreds of people he has helped and sheltered during their darkest times. Wang took in a wandering child for the first time in 1979, following a life-changing event. Since then, he has devoted his life to helping troubled youth, saying he did not want to see them go down the wrong path. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3330267/chinese-man-devotes-life-helping-young-drifters-find-their-way-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3330267/chinese-man-devotes-life-helping-young-drifters-find-their-way-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 01:00:18 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam After Amanda Fok Choi-ling was told, at the age of 35, she had ADHD, the first doctor she saw about her condition was a child psychiatrist. “When I was diagnosed in 2008, there were no support systems for adults with ADHD,” the Hongkonger recalls. A professional emcee, Fok founded Let’s Talk ADHD, a social enterprise that raises awareness of the disorder and starts conversations to spread the word that it affects children and adults alike. She launched Hong Kong’s first ADHD Awareness Week in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3329889/fighting-adhd-awareness-hong-kong-uphill-battle-social-enterprise-founder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3329889/fighting-adhd-awareness-hong-kong-uphill-battle-social-enterprise-founder?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Tara Loader Wilkinson Tara Loader Wilkinson Could the reason for your irrational anxiety, depression or chronic fatigue lie not in your life, but in the traumas experienced by your great-great-grandparents? Once dismissed as pseudoscience, the field of ancestral healing has moved beyond the fringe and is trending on social media, such as on the Instagram account @sacredancestry, which has 165,000 followers. It is also gaining mainstream traction, thanks in part to the science of epigenetics – the study of how environmental influences,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3329099/what-ancestral-healing-how-inherited-trauma-could-affect-your-health-and-useful-tips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3329099/what-ancestral-healing-how-inherited-trauma-could-affect-your-health-and-useful-tips?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Fionnuala McHugh Fionnuala McHugh The Hong Kong-born poet Sarah Howe has a lovely voice. People have commented on it so often that she wrote a line about it in her new collection, Foretokens. “From my teens, well-meaning adults would exclaim, ‘You have a lovely voice!’” she writes in her poem World Service. “Not picking up my flush of shame, they’d keep going. ‘When you grow up, you should be on the BBC!’” Those modulated tones were drummed into her when she moved from Hong Kong to England aged seven, the daughter of a British... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3328945/hong-kong-born-poet-stunned-silence-detractors-finds-voice-again-foretokens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3328945/hong-kong-born-poet-stunned-silence-detractors-finds-voice-again-foretokens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Losing a pet is the first time many children encounter death. The experience can become an opportunity for profound emotional learning and influence how young people understand and process grief when they are adults, according to psychologists and pet bereavement specialists. Parents and guardians have important roles to play when a family pet dies. Along with helping children accept the painful permanence of death, carers can guide children through a healthy and healing mourning process that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3328540/how-help-children-cope-pets-death-remember-good-times-feel-sad-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3328540/how-help-children-cope-pets-death-remember-good-times-feel-sad-them?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:15:28 +0000 Bhakti Mathur Bhakti Mathur For Mumbai resident Aarti Pathak, 2021 was memorable for all the wrong reasons. She lost her mother to Covid-19 in June, then, weeks later, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. The economics professor turned writer and editor credits yoga, Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) and her deep religious faith for helping her face cancer with calmness, equanimity and grace, enabling her to heal. Pathak chronicled her journey in a memoir called Triple Negative: A Tale of Love,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328489/how-indian-mum-breast-cancer-turned-yoga-and-love-survive-and-thrive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328489/how-indian-mum-breast-cancer-turned-yoga-and-love-survive-and-thrive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan Nobody talked about mental health when my mother was diagnosed with depression in the 1970s. “What’s she got to be depressed about?” people asked. Today, there is no need for a reason. We now understand that depression – indeed any mental health disorder – can happen for no reason, and it can happen to anyone of any background, education, creed or colour. My daughter battles with OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her pain has been no less than that of someone who struggled with the same... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328308/how-attitudes-towards-mental-health-and-treatment-have-evolved-stigma-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328308/how-attitudes-towards-mental-health-and-treatment-have-evolved-stigma-support?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:15:07 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Any amount of alcohol increases dementia risk, study finds. Why is it so bad? A sobering new report led by the University of Oxford in the UK suggests that having any amount of alcohol may increase the risk of dementia. 2. The Chinese restaurant bringing real Hong Kong barbecue to Bristol Wangs, soon to be Bristol’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3328338/alcohol-increases-dementia-risk-cantonese-lessons-kid-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3328338/alcohol-increases-dementia-risk-cantonese-lessons-kid-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:15:07 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott There is something about Aiden Tsang’s Instagram reels that instantly puts you in a good mood. The eight-year-old’s videos – a combination of innocence and cuteness, delivered with a huge cheeky smile – are the perfect antidote to much of the inane content flooding social media. Born in Hong Kong, Tsang, who last year moved with his parents to the Western Australian capital of Perth, admits he is a little homesick. He misses his extended family, his school friends and the city’s food, such as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3328098/want-learn-cantonese-take-lessons-8-year-old-who-has-fan-jimmy-o-yang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3328098/want-learn-cantonese-take-lessons-8-year-old-who-has-fan-jimmy-o-yang?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 09:15:08 +0000 dpa dpa The Prince of Wales has said he is trying to avoid the “mistakes” his parents made and wants to “do what’s best for my children”. William said his childhood “feeling of safety, security, love” was cut short when his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and his father, King Charles, separated when he was a young boy. His comments were made during an appearance on comic actor Eugene Levy’s travel series The Reluctant Traveler on Apple TV+. He told Levy: “Getting the balance of work and family life... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3327990/why-prince-william-doesnt-let-his-kids-own-phones-and-how-hes-avoiding-parents-mistakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3327990/why-prince-william-doesnt-let-his-kids-own-phones-and-how-hes-avoiding-parents-mistakes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:15:07 +0000 dpa dpa In today’s fast-paced world, junk food is more accessible and enticing than ever, which has led to increased efforts to reduce the promotion of unhealthy food and drink. While the occasional treat is part of a balanced life, children can sometimes display subtle signs of a deeper, more problematic relationship with unhealthy foods. Recognising the warning signs early is the first step towards helping your child build a healthier, more balanced diet. Here are some red flags that may indicate a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3327791/signs-your-child-addicted-junk-food-and-8-ways-help-them-kick-habit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3327791/signs-your-child-addicted-junk-food-and-8-ways-help-them-kick-habit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan Years ago, my mother and I were in my daughter’s university quarters when she returned from a lecture with dozens of boxes of condoms in her arms. My daughter burst out laughing when she saw the shocked look on my mother’s face. “Don’t worry, they’re not mine,” she said. “We give them out for free.” As a female welfare officer at her college, she could give them out to students who asked for them. Apart from preventing unwanted pregnancies, the condoms were meant to protect students from STIs,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3327619/what-chlamydia-cause-symptoms-and-treatment-silent-sti-can-cause-infertility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3327619/what-chlamydia-cause-symptoms-and-treatment-silent-sti-can-cause-infertility?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 20:15:10 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Sophie Chan’s bedroom is typical for a nine-year-old. The shelves are lined with books, games and soft toys, while a diffuser pumps out a lemon scent, her favourite fragrance. Her hobbies include drawing, playing the trumpet, singing and posting videos on her YouTube channel. She also loves hanging out with friends at school, where her favourite subjects are English, art and music. “I’ve also been a thrill-seeker since I was young,” she says, pulling out her phone to show a video that was taken... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3325937/hong-kong-girl-9-battles-leukaemia-youtube-videos-plush-toys-and-positivity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3325937/hong-kong-girl-9-battles-leukaemia-youtube-videos-plush-toys-and-positivity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 03:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Later this year, snow could be inducted into the US National Toy Hall of Fame. Its competition: a group that features hugely popular board games, outdoor favourites and giggling plushies. The National Toy Hall of Fame recently announced its 12 finalists for the class of 2025 and opened voting to the public and a panel of judges, who will choose which few will be honoured in November. The 12 contenders consist of the games Battleship, Catan, Connect Four, Trivial Pursuit and cornhole; tactile... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326131/us-national-toy-hall-fame-announces-2025-finalists-catan-slime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326131/us-national-toy-hall-fame-announces-2025-finalists-catan-slime?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Winnie Chung Winnie Chung A few years ago, the idea of directing an international star like Jimmy O. Yang for a major brand would have been a career-high milestone for Jared Lee, the Malaysian film director behind Cathay Pacific’s new narratives on its in-flight dining offerings. Today, it is simply a chapter in a much larger, more profound story of survival and realignment. In 2018, at what seemed like the prime of his life, Lee’s world suddenly paused when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In the hours that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3325586/malaysian-director-testicular-cancer-battle-and-how-social-media-sharing-saved-others?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3325586/malaysian-director-testicular-cancer-battle-and-how-social-media-sharing-saved-others?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Kokichi Akuzawa almost gave up during his trek to become the oldest person to summit Mount Fuji at age 102, an achievement recognised by Guinness World Records after he reached the top in early August. “I was really tempted to give up halfway through,” Akuzawa says. “Reaching the summit was tough, but my friends encouraged me, and it turned out well. I managed to get through it because so many people supported me.” Akuzawa climbed with his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter, her... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3324730/102-year-old-becomes-oldest-person-climb-mount-fuji-sets-new-guinness-world-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3324730/102-year-old-becomes-oldest-person-climb-mount-fuji-sets-new-guinness-world-record?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service When Angela Agnes was planning her wedding, she knew she wanted Rylee, her pit bull-German shepherd mix, to be the canine flower girl. But Agnes said that would require finding someone to bring Rylee to and from the ceremony, and to look after the pup while she was there. “I was like, ‘Anyone I would trust with my baby is going to be at my wedding,’” she says, recalling how she described the dilemma to her lifelong friend, Oriana Principe. Agnes and her husband wished they could outsource the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3324292/dream-having-your-dog-your-wedding-how-these-people-help-make-it-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3324292/dream-having-your-dog-your-wedding-how-these-people-help-make-it-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 04:15:07 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Can you train your mind to be happy? Yes, experts say. Here’s how Happiness can be elusive. When you get what you expect will bring happiness – a cool new job, a flashy car, the date you always wanted – for a time, you feel great. But that feeling subsides, and you start to feel that, really, you had it wrong, and you... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324125/training-your-mind-be-happy-meaning-chinese-red-thread-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324125/training-your-mind-be-happy-meaning-chinese-red-thread-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:30:08 +0000