Shanghai Parents on Zippy's Friends
More than 54,000 children have so far been enrolled in Zippy's Friends in Shanghai, and some of their parents have been surprised by the programme's impact. Here are three of their stories.
- ‘Zippy's Friends is so good a curriculum. It taught my son how to cope with difficulties and deal with his emotions. What he has learned from Zippy's Friends also has affected us. One night, a friend of my husband visited us. He was very depressed about something and had drunk a lot. The next day, my son said to him: "Uncle, don't drink next time. If you feel sad, you can listen to music, walk in the park, or discuss with your friends." We are so surprised, because my husband and I never taught him those strategies. On asking the kindergarten teacher of my son, I knew I should attribute that to Zippy's Friends.' - Mother, Shanghai
- ‘For a long time, I used to think kids are kids, how could they understand grown-ups' feelings? Now I realize I was wrong. I actually can talk with them on everything. I'm thankful for the teacher's training and for Zippy's Friends that helped my kid make such a change. I wanna say Zippy is without a doubt one of the greatest gifts my son received during his childhood.' - Mother, Shanghai
- A child's parents had a little quarrel and their voices got louder and louder. All of a sudden, the child murmured: ‘You two should not say things that hurt.' The parents were very surprised. They quietened down and stopped fighting. - Teacher, Shanghai