Childcare and preschool-education guidance promoted around city
Children play with handmade clay figures in the playroom at a community cultural center in Xuhui District.
Guidance on childcare and preschool education is being promoted in office buildings, industrial parks, communities and other places in Shanghai to meet the needs of local families.
As part of the city’s annual public welfare programs, activities are being carried out every day of the year both online and offline free of charge to provide guidance on proper parenting concepts and approaches for local families, said Mao Hongmei, director of the Shanghai Early Education Guidance Service Center.
In residential communities, parent-child games, lectures, consultations and other activities are being organized.
In a community cultural center in Xuhui District, a series of parent-child activities have attracted public attention for years. The venue is loaded with recreation facilities for children, including slides, handmade clay, Lego blocks, toy kitchenware and cars.
A woman surnamed Shen said she has brought her 3-year-old granddaughter once every two weeks since she was 1 year old.
“The parent-child activities provide a platform for my granddaughter to unleash her energy and enrich her life,” Shen said, “The teachers here are very professional, because they know how to help my granddaughter learn new things and provide spiritual love when she is playing.”
Meanwhile, in another multifunctional children’s playroom, some novel and intelligent services are notably arranged. There is a table with dual functions that provides children with both chatting and recreational space for playing with Legos.
“We will arrange corresponding activities and facilities for children between the ages of 1 to 6, and organize activities to help kids learn about traditional Chinese culture during traditional festivals like Dragon Boat Festival.” said a staff member.
3-year-old Du Xinyue plays on a slide at a community cultural center in Xuhui District.
Among government efforts, a mobile app called "Parenting Youdao" has become an important channel for participation in online parenting guidance activities. The app has nearly 400,000 users, providing parents with barrier-free access to professional resources.
It includes sections such as "Experts' Lecture Live" that focuses on content sharing, and all online lectures can be reviewed indefinitely. In addition, "Online Expert Q&A" and "Parents' Experience Sharing" provide users with interactive experiences.
In the next stage, the app will extend to families of children between the ages of 6 and 8, addressing issues such as effective parent-child interactions and developing good habits during the transition between kindergarten and primary school.
Other organizations have also contributed their insights into parenting guidance.
The Shanghai Health Commission has been promoting the use of the "Shanghai Maternal and Child Health Manual" and the "Shanghai Family Scientific Parenting Guiding Manual for Infants Aged 0-3." With the help of more than 200 community family civilization development guidance centers, the Shanghai Women’s Federation is providing long-term, project-based proper-parenting guidance services in communities.
