The lifestyle in Singapore, just like other developing countries, is greatly influenced by the American way of life. In simpler words, every country today has a little bit of western culture entangled in their own lifestyle and it is not even a conscious decision anymore. Singapore is no exception to this, as the way of life of the children living in Singapore, both citizens, as well as the immigrated population, is more or less surrounded by a mix of independence and co-dependency on parents.
Now, to better understand the lifestyle of children in Singapore, one needs to learn about a few attributes of this lifestyle that includes the convenience of public transport, the availability of part-time jobs, etc. All these attributes contribute to developing a sense of responsibility in the child. But with great responsibility comes great pressure to handle it well. This is why counselling for children today is gaining a lot of popularity around the world.
There is no set specification or requirement to avail counselling for children and it does not necessarily have to be limited to trauma or career counselling. Yes, in the past, counselling for children was all about understanding a child’s career interest. However, today there are several other benefits that counselling for children can offer which in turn can help improve a child’s overall performance.
Choosing counselling for children from a very young age aids the child’s growth and helps the child become more aware and expressive. There are several benefits of counselling for children and some of them are as follows:
1. Provide Clarity
As parents, it is very difficult to understand why your child is not performing or speaking like the other kids of the same age group. Counselling for children bridges the gap between the child and the parent to help parents understand any possible underlying issue or reason which might be altering the child’s overall performance. Common reasons include anxiety, loneliness, difficulty in understanding, etc. With the help of a counsellor, assessing your child’s behavioural aspects is easier which in turn will help you acknowledge and support them better. As a result, you will be able to build a better parent-child relation plus your child’s overall performance will also improve.
2. Helps deal with common yet not so common psychological troubles
Common examples of psychological trouble for a child are divorce or change of environment. As per the data from 2020, approximately 7500 divorces and annulments were filed in Singapore. Now as easy as it seems for the adults to make this rational decision of a divorce, the psychological effect that it has on children is not that easily understandable. This is when counselling for children comes as an added effort from the parent’s side to help the child cope with this sudden change in their life.
3. Helps the child understand and cope with death
Most parents have a common belief that the whole concept of death is not that easily understandable for a child and so the magnitude of the same is not affecting the child in any way. However, because of the ease of technology in today’s world, it is fairly easy to research and learn about different things with just one click. Just like adults, children also might not be able to grieve in case of sudden deaths. Counselling for children is helpful here as the counsellors know how to deal with the subject in ways that do not include forcing a child to talk but instead encourages the child to participate in an activity, helping them become more aware of the subject and teach them ways to cope with it in the future.
4. Aids personal, emotional and social development
Almost everyone at one point had to face these common problems like stage fright, public speaking, lack of self-confidence, body image issues, etc. It is almost surprising as to how in today’s world, children, regardless of their age, face these problems and do not have anyone to talk to. Especially for high school children, these problems restrict them from fitting in. Counselling for children is an added benefit here as it helps the child come to terms with the bigger and better things in life while building up their self-confidence.
Overall, seeking counselling for children is no longer considered an attack on you as parents. It was and never will be about the parenting of the child alone. Moreover, given how fast different lifestyle changes are being adopted in Singapore today, one major reason being the increased inflow of international students from all over the world, it is very important for parents to invest in the child’s future. This is not limited only to the field of education, but also in all other aspects to help improve their overall performance in life for the future and counselling can help you give the best to your child.
