Well-rounded life is key

Huang Hui, the mother of a fifth-grade student in Beijing

I always tell my son that achieving average scores in classes is fine. He does not have to be one of the top scorers in his class or attend after-school tutoring classes to help boost his academic performance.

I think the most important thing for him in his childhood is to be a child, have fun, exercise and stay healthy.

I was born in the 1980s and had to study hard to make sure I could go to a good university and eventually find a high-paying job. But unlike me, my son is fortunate enough to be born at a time when he does not need to worry about food or clothes.

I do not want my son to repeat what I have gone through, studying at every possible hour and not being able to enjoy childhood.

I think what's more important than academic performance is for him to have hobbies, find something he is passionate about and develop a good character, so he knows how to communicate with others and deal with difficulties.

Unlike some parents who make busy plans for their children to attend different expensive tutoring classes, I would rather spend the money to take him to travel and let him see the world.

When parents do all the heavy lifting for their children, they will lose the ability to be independent.

For some parents, the reason for their obsession with good grades for their children is that they were unable to be top scorers themselves.

I do feel pressure from other parents to send my son to tutoring classes, but I need to remind myself that when he is buried in endless homework at an early age, he might lose all interest in learning when he grows up.

Going to a good university is not the final goal in life. He needs to form good habits and hobbies so that when the academic burden lessens at university, he will not spend all his spare time playing video games.

Huang Hui spoke with Zou Shuo