Children these days grow up so fast and we don’t mean in height. A new global report from Oreo and Ipsos Public Affairs has discovered that children these days are growing up at a quicker pace than ever before with 8 out of 10 Malaysian parents admitting that kids these days just don’t have time to be who they are thanks to daily pressures put upon them.
The same goes for parents as well who yearn for the carefree days they used to have growing up because no longer do the experience feelings of delight and joy thanks to work pressures and financial burdens. It’s important that parents and their children take time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures together away from technologies and participate in healthier activities such as board games, handcraft activities or short hikes. These are the little things that will end up as ever lasting memories for both child and parents, as highlighted by Sunil Sethi, Managing Director, Kraft Foods Malaysia.
The idea that the spirit of childhood is on the decline is true not only for kids, but also adults. Parents everywhere yearn for the type of lighthearted enjoyment they had when they were kids. In fact, a majority of parents around the world, including Malaysia, said they don’t have fun on a daily basis and rarely experience feelings of delight as they did when they were children.
The “Global Spirit of Childhood Report,” conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of OREO, measured the spirit of childhood around the world in an effort to understand if consumers, both young and old, are still able to take the time to experience the simple joys of being a kid.
In the past, it’s possible to have one parent stay home to take care of the kids but today, it’s impossible to survive on a single parent family especially in the Klang Valley what with escalating inflation rates and the high cost of education. The survey goes on to say that an overwhelming 92 percent of Malaysian parents admit that one of the main reasons they work hard is to ensure that their children have a bright future but would trade part of their salary in exchange for more time with their kids.
Technology may help keep family members connected when apart with over 25% of parents using mobile phones to communicate with their children than in person. Unfortunately when together, these devices distract them from having proper traditional communication with one another. Perhaps families should make it a rule to turn off their devices when spending quality time together? Indeed, technology is a double edged sword.
Despite pressures and distractions that affect the time families spend together and that state of childhood today, there’s hope. In fact, 88 percent of parents globally and 92 percent of parents in Malaysia say they’re committed to making sure their kids don’t miss out on childhood and a majority say they themselves want to be more carefree.
Image credits to ToiletDalamKloset
“While cultures may separate us, one thing we have in common is the desire to celebrate the kid inside all of us. 2012 marks the 100th birthday of OREO and in recognition of this milestone, we’ll be finding more ways to celebrate the spirit of childhood and make special, simple moments happen for families and OREO fans in Malaysia and around the world,” concluded Sunil.
