Just ahead of the beginning of a new school year, parents are worrying about the children’s relationship with friends. (image: kobizmedia)
SEOUL, Korea, Feb 25 (Korea Bizwire) – Just ahead of the beginning of a new school year on March 2, a survey revealed the biggest headache for parents with elementary schoolchildren was their children’s relationship with friends. According to WeekOn, a learning community, based on a survey conducted on 2,250 parents of school-age children between February 13 and 18, as many as 976 out of 1,876 effective respondents said their children’s friendship gives them most frustration.
It reflects the current situation in which so many young children suffer constantly from bullying, school violence, and even online verbal abuse of which parents must also be aware and respond to. Other headaches for the parents included separation anxiety (21%), absenteeism from minor health conditions (11%), financial burden (8%), academic performance (6%), and others (2%).
To a question, “Have your child ever complained of problem before and during a new school year?” 69 percent (1,294 respondents) answered in affirmative. The most common symptom was lethargy (34%), followed by stomach ache or headache (23%), loss of appetite (18%), sleep disorder (15%), refusal to go out of home (8%).
Jang Seong-su, president of WeekOn, said, “A new school year means a totally new learning environment with new classmates and new textbooks to work on, which is indeed a big source of stress. At the beginning of a new school year, parents should take more time to talk to their children and find out problem as early as possible before it gets more serious.”
WeekOn, Korea’s first experience-based learning portal community, offers a wealth of learning contents ranging from leisure and cultural activities to reading assistance.
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