IntheInternetera,onlineclassesareeyeingDr.Spock’splaceinChinesefamiliesByLiuJian
Moreandmorechildrentodayhavelessandlesscontactwiththenaturalworld.Andthisishavingahugeimpactontheirhealthanddevelopment.Ourchildrenneedtogetoutdoorsandengagewithnature.
ZhangLi,Founder,NeoEducationTechnologyService
Beforehersonwasborn,ZhangLihadimaginedmanyfondwaysoftakingcareofhim.Butallherplanshadtobediscardedashewasbornprematureandhadtostayinhospitalforalongtime.
Howtotakecareofaprematurebaby?What’sthebestenvironmentforhim?Howtobeagoodmom?Allthosequestionsmadeheranxiousandfretful.
“Manymomslikemeneedhelp.Weneedguidancefromexperts,weneedtosharechildcareinformationandtacticswithotherparents,andwealsoneedcompanionshipandemotionalsupport,”Zhangsaid.”Newparentsareoftenconcernedaboutraisingtheirbabiesandwantinformation.Theylookforinformationspecifictotheirfamilysituation,includingeffectiveparentingtechniquesspecifictotheirchildren’sneeds.”
Traditionally,newparentsusedtogettheinformationtheyneededbytalkingwithfriendsandfamily.Butnow,moreparentsborninthe1980sand1990spreferbooks,parentingclasses,media,andtheInternet.
“Thedemandforchild-rearingknowledge,educationresourcesandservicesisgrowingrapidly,asmoreyoungparentsarekeentolearnparentingtechniquesandupdatetheirknowledge,”Zhangsaid.
Anonlineparentingcommunity
Tohelpparentslikeher,Zhangsetupherowncompany,NeoEducationTechnologyService,inMarch2014.Lastyear,shelaunchedanapp,YuanziParenting.
“Thevalueofknowledgesharingandsocialnetworkingfarexceedssellingproductstoparents,”shesaid,explainingthedecision.Besides,whilebringingupherson,shefoundparentingresourcesandemotionalsupportcanempowerparents,increasingtheirconfidenceintheirparentingabilityandtheirknowledgeofchilddevelopment.
NeoEducationoffersparentingclassesthroughsocialmediasiteWeChat.Theclassescoverawidevarietyoftopics-fromchildren’smentalhealthandChinesemassagestochildsafetyincarsandcake-makingskills.Parentscanalsolearnaboutarteducationresourcesandtipsforphotographingtheirkids.
Theclassesofteninviteexperts.AmongthemarethosefromtheMinistryofPublicSecurity,whotalkabouthowtoensurechildrendon’tgetlostandwhattodoiftheydo.It’sapopulartopicwithparents.
Someclassesarefree,whilesomechargesmallfees,rangingfrom6yuan($0.9)to40yuan($6.2).
“AslongasthereisInternetconnection,parentscanraisequestionsandinteractwithteachersandotherparentsinWeChatgroupsfromanyplace,”saidCongXiaoyu,thecompany’schannelpromotionmanager.
Zhangbelievesknowledgeandinformationsharingamongparentsisimportant.Ontheapp,parentscanexchangetheirparentingexperiencesandideaswithpeers.Theycanuploadparentingtipsasplaintext,withpictures,oraudioclips.Therearedifferentcategoriesofinteractions,fromreadingoutstoriestoEnglishlessons,health,psychology,andnatureandarteducation.
WangWenwen,a31-year-oldmother,joinedNeoEducationoneyearago.Nowsheworksastheappcontenteditor.Wangsaidworkinginthecompanyhashelpedherlearnandgrow.
Wangechoeditwasgoodtoexchangeparentingtipsandexperienceswithotherparentsonline.“IgotalistofEnglishpicturebooksafatherhadrecommendedontheapp.Iwouldreadoutfromthemtomysoninthemorningandevening,”shesaid.“Nowheasksmetoreadtohimeveryday.”
NeoEducationalsoorganizesofflineactivitiesforkidsandparentsinpartnershipwithotherorganizations.Forinstance,itworkswithFootNatureEducation,acompanywhichprovidesnatureeducationtochildrenagedbetween5and12andtheirparents,tobringkidsclosertonaturethroughactivitiessuchaslearningaboutflowersandbirdwatching.
“Moreandmorechildrentodayhavelessandlesscontactwiththenaturalworld.Andthisishavingahugeimpactontheirhealthanddevelopment,”Zhangsaid.“Ourchildrenneedtogetoutdoorsandengagewithnature.”
“Throughactivitiessuchasobservation,gamesandpainting,mysonlearnsfromnature.Ithinkhewillrespectandcareaboutnatureandtheenvironment,”saidLiXia,a35-year-old,whotookher5-year-oldsontoaweekendnatureeducationevent.
Earlyeducationmatters
Zhang,whohasapsychologybackground,believestheearlyyearsareatimeoftremendousgrowthandopportunity.Earlyexperienceshavelastingeffectsonachild’spersonalityandfuturedevelopment.Therefore,thisonlinecommunityismainlytargetedatchildrenagedbetween1and6yearsandtheirparents.Theagegroupwillbeexpandedto12inthefuture.
“AsanoldChinesesayinggoes,whenachildis3,youcanseewhatkindofadulthewillgrowinto.Whenheis7,youcanseehowhewouldbeinhisoldage,”shesaid.“Duringachild’searlyyears,thestateofparent-childrelationshipdetermineshowthekidwillgetalongwithotherpeopleinthefuture.”
Shegivesanexampleofearlybehavioraltraining.“Whenyourkid’stoyistakenawaybyanother,heishelplessandupset.It’simportantforparentstoguidehimtoreleasehisemotions.”
“Thewisdombehindbringingupachildissimple,butparentsneedtolearnparentingmethodsandunderstandchildren’sbehaviorindifferentdevelopmentstages,”saidMouJuan,anexpertonchilddevelopmentalpsychology,whoteachesonlineatNeoEducation.
Zhanghasavisionforhercompany.“Wehopetobringmoreeducationalresourcestofamiliesoutsidetheformaleducationsystem,”shesaid.“Throughclassesandparentingadvice,wewanttohelpparentscreateanaturalandharmoniousenvironmentforkids’growth,takecareofchildren’smentalhealth,andnurtureahealthyfamilylife.”
Hervisionandbusinessplanhaveattractedmanyinvestors.Afterreceiving10millionyuan($1.54million)ininvestmentfromZheshangVentureCapitalin2014,NeoEducationsubsequentlygotseveralroundsoffinancingfromShanghaiZhongluGroup,aninvestmentcompany,ZhongsouGroup,oneofthelargestsearchenginetechnologyprovidersinChina,andInforeInvestments.
Thecompanyatpresentearnsitsrevenuemainlythroughpartnershipsandcooperationwithothercompanies.Zhanghopesitwillbecomeprofitablebytheendofthisyear.
China’snewpolicyofallowingcouplestohaveasecondchildisexpectedtoboostthemotherandbabycaregoodsandservicesmarket.It’sestimatedthatfamiliesinthird-andfourth-tiercitieswillbethemajorbeneficiariesofthispolicy.
“Moremomsmayresignfromtheirjobstotakecareoftwokids.Buttheycanalsohavetheirowncareer,”Zhangsaid.“Wehopetoprovidelow-coststartupopportunitiesforthemtostarttheirowncareeronourplatform.”
Theplanistoprovidesuchmotherswithmanuals,coursewareandothereducationalresourcessothattheycanrunEnglish,artornatureclasses,benefitingmorechildrenintheirneighborhood.CA