Contemporary Parent Education Conference 2018 – Secret to Children’s Growth
The nature versus nurture issue is one of the oldest debates in child development. In order to provide the community with updated information, the Center for Child Development, together with the Hong Kong Society of Behavioral and Neural Genetics and Hong Kong Montessori Research and Development Association, has organized the captioned conference on June 16, 2018. This conference brought together professionals in Medicine, Psychology, and Education to explore with the participants if infants should undergo genetic testing, nurturance of newborns that is scientifically supported, and ways to prepare learning environment in home setting that would support a child’s physical, emotional and cognitive development.
Prof. Atara Sivan, the Head of the Department of Education Studies, kicked off the event by giving a warm welcoming speech to the participants. Professor Mary Waye, the Research Professor at the Nethersole School of Nursing of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, then delivered the keynote speech on the theme of genetic codes of child development. Upon the end of the session, Dr. Simpson Wong, the Associate Professor of the Department of Education Studies and who is also a specialist in psychology and behavioral genetic studies, had a conversation with Professor Waye to further address participants’ questions.
After the keynote session, three parallel seminar sessions on child development were arranged to give the participants a choice of their own interest for more in-depth and interactive discussion. The first one was held by Dr. Fanny Lam, a specialist in developmental-behavioural paediatrics. In her session, Dr. Lam offered tips from her clinical observation and practice for promoting children’s emotional health. The second one was held by Dr. Daisy Lau, Chairperson and Founder of Hong Kong Montessori Research and Development Association. She talked about the effective parenting strategies for parents of young children. The third one was held by Mr. Ralph Lau, Founder of Infinity Montessori Academy, who shared with the participants how to practice Montessori methods at home.
A hundred and eight participants, including parents, teachers, healthcare professionals and university students, took part in the conference. This was a unique experience for the participants to experience perspectives from professionals across disciplines. The Center would continue to provide useful learning opportunities for the community.
