Every child needs and has the right to grow up in love and full care to be physically and mentally strong - Photo: QL
Children need a solid foundation of physical, mental and intellectual strength, three pillars that help them develop and adapt flexibly, not just grades or achievements.
This story was recently presented at the 2025 Comprehensive Education Forum with the theme "Nurturing body - mind - wisdom to help children stand firm in the 21st century". The main message is comprehensive education to create a happy, healthy and highly adaptable generation, contributing to the development of the country.
Skills to adapt to change
Ms. Tran Tue Tri, co-founder and senior advisor of Vietnam Brand Purpose, said the important issue of education today is how to help children build their inner strength and self-study, adapting to changes over time.
With the goal of making Vietnam a high-income country by 2045, according to Ms. Tri, children who are well-nourished and educated today will contribute to helping Vietnam achieve its goal, standing shoulder to shoulder with the powers in the international arena.
"Education not only helps children develop basic skills such as reading and writing, but also problem-solving skills, creativity, critical thinking and good character. These things help them become good people, useful to society, nurturing a generation with a Vietnamese heart and a global mindset," said Ms. Tri.
Sharing the same thought, Mr. Duong Ngoc Tu - General Director of Wisdomland International Preschool Education System - also emphasized the motto "learning in happiness, wisdom goes far". It is necessary to help children confidently express themselves, develop their creativity instead of just following the model given by the teacher.
"Compared to previous generations, education today not only gives children knowledge but also needs to give them skills, helping them grow up in a world that is changing a lot and requires high adaptability from people," Mr. Tu said.
Every child is unique.
With the idea that a child who is fully educated in the 21st century must have full skills, physical and mental health as well as responsibility for themselves, their family and society, Mr. Christopher Vu - creative director of Vietnam Tinh Hoa - said that it is necessary to create more space for children to be creative and explore in order to achieve that goal.
In addition, he said that in addition to school results, ask children open-ended questions and focus on additional experiences.
Cite research studies where participants were divided into groups or used ChatGPT, search engines, or just brainstorming to solve problems posed by scientists.
The results showed that the group that only used their brains were said to have more neurological development. While the group that used ChatGPT had the lowest brain activity, showing "ease" in terms of mental effort.
"Adults need to give children the opportunity to find answers. Once parents immediately give their children the answer, they are depriving them of the opportunity to learn, experience and explore," said Mr. Vu.
Meanwhile, talking about things that can affect the child-rearing process, educator - artist Thanh Bui, founder of the Embassy Education system, emphasized that parents, teachers and the community need to rethink the question "How are we educating our children?".
He said many parents tend to compare their children with others, while each child is a unique version. "Ask 'Have you done your best with your ability?' Just compare yourself with yourself yesterday to see how much you have developed, don't compare yourself with other children," said artist Thanh Bui.
Strong body and mind
Dr. Nguyen Tri Doan - Head of Pediatrics, Head of Evidence-Based Medicine at Victoria Healthcare Clinic System, Author of the book Let Your Child Be Sick - said that preschool is the age when children begin to step out into the outside world and gain experience. This is the foundation for long-term health because children are susceptible to illness, which can affect their development if they are not properly cared for.
Doctors say the three important pillars in a child's development journey include strong immunity, balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. When starting school, children are very susceptible to colds, fever, diarrhea... due to viruses living in the environment. And research shows that on average, children get sick 8-10 times a year with more than 200 types of viruses that cause respiratory diseases.
To have a good immune system, children need to be fully vaccinated to protect against dangerous diseases caused by pneumococcus, flu, along with eating enough nutrients and getting enough sleep. Limit the use of unnecessary antibiotics in children and only use them for some bacterial infections such as pneumococcal pneumonia, some cases of otitis media or skin infections and use antipyretics properly.
Another extremely important factor is mental care. According to Dr. Tri Doan, children need to be loved, praised, guided in basic social skills and have their emotions respected. Families work closely with schools to build positive habits, helping children learn while playing and play while learning.
"Parents need to monitor their child's growth and neuromotor development through regular check-ups. Their eating, sleeping and playing needs to be planned and they need to consult a specialist when necessary," the doctor advised.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ba-tru-cot-giup-con-tre-lon-len-vung-vang-la-gi-20250731091214439.htm
Comment (0)