Building Blocks for
Happy Kids!
Are our kids too stressed?
Is the relentless pursuit
of excellence resulting
in unhappy children?
Family & Life sits down
with Associate Professor
Chang Weining and finds
out the answers to these
questions and more.
Singapore is a stressful place to
be a child. Being a kid here means
you’re subjected to multiple
stressors – having to perform well
in school, a schedule chockfull of
tuition and enrichment classes,
peer pressure and more – that
would overwhelm even most
adults. And when these kids fail to
reach the sometimes impossibly
high standards set by their parents
and schools, they might become
depressed and start harbouring
negative thoughts.
It’s an unhealthy situation to be in
for any kid, which is why the Health
Promotion Board has launched a
Why is it important for parents to
take note of their children’s mental
well-being?
AP Chang: Good mental well-being
helps a child thrive and flourish in
different settings, be it at home, at
school or in the community. Studies
have shown that kids with positive
mental well-being are able to achieve
better outcomes in life such as doing
better in school, having meaningful
and more productive relationships,
and being less susceptible to risky
health behaviours.
In my opinion,
Singaporean
parents place
too much focus
on achievements
such as
getting good
grades, making
money, etc.!
Instead, ѡ