Promotion of Healthy, Happy and Balanced Development of Children Archives - 循道衛理聯合教會亞斯理幼稚園 Asbury Methodist Kindergarten

Three steps to teach children to eat on their own

01/07/2025

教導小朋友自己進食三步曲 Written by: Senior Parenting Specialist, Bally When children go to school, they have to eat on their own. It is not an easy challenge to teach children to eat well, as they have to eat attentively and refrain from playing with food. In fact, parents only need three steps to teach their children to eat on their own. First, parents need to teach their children to eat on their own. Parents are frequently anxious for their children to finish their meals quickly, fearing that they will not eat and will have to be fed by their parents. In fact, starting at 6 months of age, children should get used to using their own hands to put food in their mouths, with parents only assisting them. Parents should let their children pick up the utensils and eat by themselves so that they do not just get fed but also get a sense of participation and motivation to eat. Second, help children with hand-eye coordination. Sometimes children may not be able to hold the utensils properly because of their own hand-eye coordination issues and may be angry and not eat. Parents can use words to remind children how to move the utensils backwards and forwards, or they can train children’s coordination skills on a daily basis so that they can cope with the challenges of eating on their own and reduce the difficulties they encounter. Third, give praise and encouragement. Children will inevitably encounter difficulties and frustrations when learning to eat.

Can eating fruits cause fat? How much is the right amount to eat?

26/06/2025

Can eating fruits cause fat? How much is the right amount to eat?食生果會致肥？食多少才正確？ Written by : Registered Dietitian (Australia) Chung Yong Man Everyone says to eat more fruit, although fruit is beneficial is a cliché, but at the same time there are a number of mysteries: fruit is not very high in sugar? Will eating it cause fat? Is it necessary to eat fruit before meals in order to absorb the nutrients in the fruit? Let me break it down for you one by one. Fruits can cause fat? Yes, because fruit contains natural sugar – fructose, can provide calories, so a lot of fruit will intake too much calories, resulting in obesity. However, in addition to fructose, fruit also contains other nutrients, which have great health benefits. For example, oranges, kiwis and strawberries are rich in vitamin C, which helps to strengthen resistance. Bananas, melon and raisins are rich in potassium, which helps stabilize blood pressure. In addition, the dietary fiber in fruits can help prevent constipation and maintain intestinal health. I still encourage people to develop the habit of eating fruits every day, as long as the amount of fruits consumed is controlled, it will not lead to fructose overload. According to the recommendations of the Hong Kong Department of Health, the daily portion of fruit intake is as follows. Children aged 2 to 5 years: at least 1 serving per day Children aged 6 to 11 years, adolescents, and adults: at least 2 servings per day 1

Children wet the bed at night, but cannot control themselves.

26/05/2025

Written by Chinese Doctor Yiu Yee Chiu Every parent wants their child to develop well and quickly, not to lag behind, if not to be better than others. In medicine, there is a condition between “disease” and “physiology” that both parents and children find very disturbing. This is “nocturnal enuresis in children”. Nocturnal enuresis is a stage of physiological development, but it is a problem if a child is still unable to control his or her urination and wets the bed after the age of 5. Nocturnal enuresis in children can be divided into two types: primary and secondary. The former is a pathological cause, such as spina bifida, or developmental delay. In the case of secondary causes, the child has control over the urine, but then for some reason, it gets out of control. The most common cause is an unexplained delay in development. Medication, Physical Therapy, and Life In Chinese medicine, the production of urine is related to several internal organs. The causes are kidney qi deficiency, spleen-lung qi deficiency, and liver stagnation and heat. In clinical practice, the main cause is kidney qi deficiency. Unlike adult enuresis or secondary enuresis in children, the condition will generally improve with several months of treatment. However, the treatment must be combined with medication, physical therapy, and life support. Chinese herbal medicine treatment: the main ingredients are mulberry cuttlebone, puzzle nut, whole cherry, Schisandra, yam, and mulberry. Physical therapy: Acupuncture and massage, mainly for the bladder

Failure to adequately address anxiety in young children may exacerbate separation anxiety

25/04/2025

Failure to adequately address anxiety in young children may exacerbate separation anxiety Written by: New Horizons Development Centre, Certified Educational Psychologist Pang Chi Wah As the school year begins again, many children cry when they first go to kindergarten. However, there are also children who can go to school without any adjustment period because their parents can prepare them mentally and practice simulations. For children, entering kindergarten may be their first major challenge because some children are separated from their families for the first time when they enter kindergarten, but once they have enough time to become familiar with the school environment, they will feel safe in kindergarten life and will not cry. What bothers parents and teachers the most is that after a few weeks of enrollment, children continue to cry or expressly resist going back to school. In better cases, they may not like to participate in extracurricular activities, and in more severe cases, they may refuse to go to school, and in some extreme cases, they may not allow their parents to leave their sight. These are all separation anxiety problems. In fact, there may be deeper reasons why children do not adapt to being separated from their families that need to be understood in depth. For example, some children are admitted to the intensive care unit when they are newborn because they are underweight or have physical problems, or they need to be hospitalized or undergo surgery because they are sick. Although such medical

Drawings peek into the inner world of children

27/03/2025

Drawings peek into the inner world of children Written by: Unleashing Mind Professional Counselling Academy Psychotherapist Lee Wai-Tong Painting can give us room to express our feelings. I use a brush to create a dialogue with myself in another language, soothing my emotions or gaining insight and unlocking my heart. Crying over trivial stuff In my past child counseling sessions, some parents came to me for help. They did not understand why their son, Ming, often cried over trivial things, such as being late for TV, late for dinner, or when his father came home late, etc. They mentioned the situation to Ming, but they did not understand why, which caused them trouble. Therefore, I suggested conducting a drawing assessment for Ming to understand the environment in which Ming grows up in his mind, which may help to understand the reason why Ming loves to cry. Drawing reveals the reason for crying Ming drew a “family story”. While drawing, he expressed his feelings that his parents were busy with work all day, so he often played alone at home. When his parents came home, Ming wanted to play with them, but his father soon became impatient. In Ming’s mind, it seems that his father is always angry; whenever his mother sees this situation, she will argue with him. In Ming’s eyes, his mother always looks sad when she argues with his father. In Ming’s mind, he knew that his parents loved him, but when he saw that his father

Small Training for Writing Skills

26/02/2025

Small Training for Writing Skills Written by: Child Psychological Development Association, Psychological Counselor, Mr. Ching Wai Keung “His handwriting is always out of line; it always ‘flies’ all over the place!” “He can’t even write within the boxes; he usually takes up two boxes for one character!” “He often skips lines or spaces when writing!” “It seems like he doesn’t apply enough pressure when he writes; his writing is so faint that it’s almost unreadable!” These comments reflect the experiences of many children learning to write in K2. When children write, they need to coordinate many abilities, the simplest being the strength and dexterity of their finger muscles (fine motor skills). If there is insufficient training in fine motor skills, children may struggle with writing or holding a pen effectively. So, how can parents address and train this? It’s simple: let them play with playdough, clay, and flour from a young age. Secondly, visual-spatial awareness and eye control are also important for copying. General ball activities are excellent training options. Tracking a ball visually and then performing an action to catch (or kick) it is a natural and fun form of training. Additionally, games like “spot the difference” (finding the differences between two pictures) and maze games (first finding the way with their eyes and then connecting the dots with a pen) can also benefit eye control. Hand-eye coordination is, of course, crucial in copying practice! Activities like tossing and catching beanbags, fishing games, pouring exercises, and cutting paper can

Play With Toys to Help Young Children Develop, Don’t Just Rely on Technology Products

23/01/2025

Written by: Certified Educational Psychologist Pang Chi Wah, New Horizons Development Centre Written by: Certified Educational Psychologist Pang Chi Wah, New Horizons Development Centre As the 21st century has entered the generation of electronic media, many parents are not used to buying newspapers, but have also become accustomed to communicating with people online, shopping, reading newspapers and playing games etc. Some parents have also started to buy fewer toys for their children because many games can be played online anytime and anywhere, which is convenient and economical, and the items are diversified and easy to carry. In fact, the use of computers is becoming more and more popular, from the business world to the education world and everyone’s daily life. Some parents feel that they need to teach their children to use computers as soon as possible so that they can be one step ahead of others and become smarter. But this argument ignores the fact that no matter how diversified and comprehensive the use of electronic media is, everyone needs to live in the real world and deal with their daily lives in a real way. In recent years, more and more children are being diagnosed with sensory integration dysfunction, some of which are genetic in origin, but some of which are caused by a lack of proper stimulation in later life. Regardless of the cause, society is increasingly demanding more and more of human sensory integration, but unfortunately, as young children grow up, their bodies are less likely

Oral Muscle Development Training: Laying the Foundation for Language Skills

23/12/2024

Oral Muscle Development Training: Laying the Foundation for Language Skills Written by: Speech Therapist Ms Jenny T. Y. Kwok Every child’s language ability is different. Some children can speak various words by the age of one and form sentences by two, communicating effectively with others. However, some children develop their language skills more slowly. In fact, the development of oral muscles has a profound impact on both eating and language abilities. Parents can engage in various small games to train their children’s oral muscles, laying a solid foundation for their language development. Oral muscles include the muscles of the cheeks, lips, tongue, and jaw, which develop and improve with age and eating experiences. The strength, control, flexibility, and coordination of these muscles are crucial factors in a child’s ability to learn to speak. Daily meal times provide excellent practice opportunities. However, some cases involve children primarily eating finely chopped or pureed foods, which can hinder the normal development of their chewing abilities, affecting both eating and language development. Common issues include drooling and unclear or inaccurate pronunciation, so oral muscle problems must be addressed. Here are some simple games to train oral muscles, which we hope will improve children’s oral capabilities through fun activities, thus laying a strong foundation for their language skills. Blowing Practice How to Play: First, prepare a basin of water and position it between the parent and child, who should face each other. Fill the basin halfway with water and place a paper boat on the

Understanding Common Infectious Diseases in Schoolchildren

15/11/2024

Understanding Common Infectious Diseases in Schoolchildren Written by : Dr. Chiu Cheung Shing The weather in Hong Kong can be unpredictable, and combined with children’s weaker immune systems, they are prone to various illnesses. Moreover, children learn and play together at school, making it easy for infectious diseases to spread. Therefore, parents must have a certain understanding of common infectious diseases among schoolchildren to take necessary preventive measures and avoid infections. In Hong Kong, schoolchildren’s infectious diseases can be categorized based on their mode of transmission: Droplet Transmission Children can inhale droplets expelled by an infected person when they sneeze, cough, spit, or talk. They may also touch surfaces contaminated with pathogens and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth, allowing the virus to enter their bodies and cause infection. Common illnesses include upper respiratory infections (commonly referred to as colds), influenza, and hand, foot, and mouth disease. Contact Transmission This occurs when viruses are transmitted through direct contact with an infected person’s body, such as skin-to-skin contact. The most common example is hand, foot, and mouth disease. Airborne Transmission Pathogens can remain suspended in the air for a period, entering the human body through the respiratory system without direct contact. Common diseases transmitted this way include chickenpox and measles. Hygiene-Related Infections Some infectious diseases arise from improper personal hygiene, such as urinary tract infections or gastroenteritis (commonly referred to as stomach flu). Handling Infectious Diseases When a child contracts any infectious disease,

Genetics or Poor Lifestyle Habits Can Make Children Prone to Astigmatism! Here Are 3 Treatment Methods for Astigmatism

15/10/2024

Genetics or Poor Lifestyle Habits Can Make Children Prone to Astigmatism! Here Are 3 Treatment Methods for Astigmatism Astigmatism can cause blurred or distorted vision, affecting eyesight. The primary cause of astigmatism in children is related to genetic factors, but it can also be due to poor lifestyle habits, such as engaging in activities in poorly lit environments or lying down while reading, which may lead to astigmatism. Learn more about the symptoms, treatment, and prevention methods for astigmatism in children. Definition of Astigmatism Astigmatism is a common refractive error. A normal cornea is a perfectly round hemisphere, while an astigmatic cornea has an oval shape. When the cornea or lens cannot evenly focus light coming from all directions onto the retina, it results in blurred or distorted images, leading to astigmatism. Regular Astigmatism vs. Irregular Astigmatism Astigmatism is mainly divided into regular and irregular types. Irregular Astigmatism: This occurs when the shape of the cornea is unevenly curved, causing light to scatter in all directions and preventing it from focusing on the retina, leading to image distortion. Regular Astigmatism: This occurs when the curvature of the cornea is inconsistent in one direction compared to its perpendicular direction. The varying curvature causes light to focus at different positions on the retina, resulting in different types of regular astigmatism, including: Myopic Astigmatism: One main light ray focuses on the retina while another focuses in front of it; or both main light rays focus in front of the retina but at different

Promotion of Healthy, Happy and Balanced Development of Children