China

Watching your child experience the physical and emotional pain of bullying or cyberbullying is heartbreaking.  Some parents are unsure where to begin to help protect their children from bullying and violence. Others may not know if their children are victims, bystanders or even perpetrators of harmful behaviours.  Here are some tips on how to…, Understanding the basics, What is bullying? You can usually identify bullying through the following three characteristics: intent, repetition, and power. A bully intends to cause pain, either through physical harm or hurtful words or behaviour, and does so repeatedly. Boys are more likely to experience physical bullying, while girls are more likely to experience…, Starting with prevention, How can I help prevent bullying in my child’s school? The first step to keeping your child safe, whether in-person or online, is making sure they know the issue.  Educate your children about bullying. Once they know what bullying is, your children will be able to identify it more easily, whether it is happening to them or someone else.  Talk…, Responding to bullying, What should I do if my child is being bullied or threatened? If you know your child is being bullied, there are several steps you can take to help them: Listen to your child openly and calmly. Focus on making them feel heard and supported, instead of trying to find the cause of the bullying or trying to solve the problem. Make sure they know that…, Take action, You can be a support system to your child and working with your school to change policies to prevent and address bullying. Learn more:

The nurturant qualities of the environments where children grow up, live and learn – parents, caregivers, family and community – will have the most significant impact on their development. Lori Irwin, Arjumand Siddiqi and Clyde Hertzman To make the most of these early years, loving and nurturing relationships with caregivers are important while…

Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large. Fact 1: Breastfeeding for the first six months is crucial WHO…

Myths and truths about breastfeeding, 1. Myth? Breastfeeding is easy. The truth is while babies are born with the reflex to look for their mother’s breast, many mothers will still need to position their baby for breastfeeding and make sure their baby is correctly attached to the breast. Breastfeeding takes time and practice for both mothers and babies. Breastfeeding is also time…

How parents and caregivers can create a safe environment for children and young people and what you can do if your child is being bullied or has witnessed violence. Going through bullying or a violent [1] experience in school does not only have short-term consequences, but can potentially lead to serious long-term consequences for your child. If…

Violence against children affects the entire community. A child that experiences violence or is bullied will suffer long-term consequences and this, in turn, can have an impact on the future of the communities where they live. It’s important to keep in mind that violence, exploitation and abuse against children can take many forms including:…

Schools should be a safe place for children, a place where they can grow and learn and be with friends. But for many students around the world, this is not the case: Half of the world's teens experience peer violence in and around school. More than 1 in 3 students aged 13–15 experience bullying. Around 1 in 3 students aged 13–15 are involved in…

The first 1,000 days of life are when a child’s brain develops most rapidly. Research shows that providing your child with the right nutrition, stimulation and protection during this period — or EAT, PLAY, LOVE eat, play, love  —is one of the most effective ways to improve a child’s social and emotional skills, cognitive abilities and well-being.…, Paid parental leave policy in China, The Special Provisions of State Council states that mothers are entitled to 98 days paid maternity leave after they give birth. Because provincial regulations vary, some parents may be entitled to even more parental leave (either paid, partly paid, or unpaid) than required by national law. Knowing how much paid parental leave you have and, more…, Childcare for working parents, For parents, nothing is more important than knowing your child is taken care of while you’re at work. Leaving your child in a childcare centre that can take care of your child’s needs is one way to get the best care for your child. While more and more businesses and companies are now considering setting up childcare spaces or centres in the…, Breastfeeding workplace policy in China, After they return to work, mothers are entitled to 1 hour of paid breastfeeding breaks every day until their child turns 1. This hour can be availed of as a whole or broken down into smaller units (for example, two breastfeeding breaks of 30 minutes each). Having a space where you can breastfeed is also important so if your workplace does not have…

The first two to three years of life have a profound effect on children’s future – on their health, their happiness, their ability to learn in school, and even the amount of money they can earn as adults. Studies on brain development have shown that the human brain is a made up of a complex interplay of neural connections that begins before birth…

Learning begins literally from the time babies are born and there's even some evidence there's learning inside of the womb. Alison Gopnik, Ph.D. So when babies are born, for instance, they discriminate between the sounds of the language that they've heard and the sounds of another language. So they're already seeing, hearing and making sense of…

Your baby’s brain can only develop when it gets nutritious food, play time, lots of love and security… That’s ‘eat, play, love’!  The most important phase of life is the first few years when you are a child. That’s when the brain grows really fast – faster than any other time in our life. The brain makes [more than 1 million] new connections every…

A baby cannot see and hear at birth. True or false?  False. Babies can see and hear from birth. When you look in your child’s eyes and smile in response to his/her smiles, he/she learns to communicate and respond to you. Many babies actually remember songs they heard repeatedly while still in the womb, so you should begin talking (and singing!) to…