What is wrong with people here?

[carang]

i will NEVER grow to accept rudeness as a way of life... and i've been here for 17 years... how long do you think one needs to live here before rudeness becomes acceptable?

i also think that one child is not the norm here.

 

[elle]

It is a highly competitive society. People are too busy with themselves. I go through all my kids kindy books, they introduce a lot of vocab to the kids but I have yet to come to one story to tell the kids to help others.....or simple manners!! Please and thank you is all they learn....again it is vocab driven rather that simply being nice to others!!! You will learn to accept it when you stay longer. Most people can only afford one child, so it is really difficult to cultivate the sense of "sharing" and "compromise" in children. Digital toys are preferred over simple playdates. Children as young as 2 have to attend interviews to get into schools...... All these add up when they grow to become young adults!!!

You may have identified part of the problem. PARENTS aren't doing their job, instilling simple values into their children (you absolutely don't need more than one kid to teach them the importance of respecting others, sharing and compromising). Why should a child have to learn manners from school or a kindy book (that is way to late in life to start!)? My kid isn't even 2 and knows how to say 'please', 'thank you', to let older adults (she calls them 'aunties' walk through a door first and to share toys with other children at playdates and simple compromises like pick up your toys and you can go outside to play. She learns, and will continue to learn, her value system from her parents and those close to her - we won't leave it up to school or anyone else to teach her to be a well behaved human being.

I have been here over 6 years and absolutely do not accept rudeness, nor will any amount of time in HK lead me to tolerate that kind of behavior from my child.

 

[shwetakhanna]

Agree with Elle and carang. We have one child, but she has learnt to share and help. She helps me open the door if I am carrying something, she will help be lay the table and clean up after dinner, and sometimes doesn't mind telling daddy also to help if required. It is what and how we teach our children. If sometimes she catches us not saying please or thank you, she tells us that we not being polite.
She has seen us holding the door for other people to pass when we go out or come back home and now she waits for everybody else to pass holding on to the door, and we praise her for that. It depends completely on the parents what attitude we show to our kids and they grow up with the same values.

 

[2010-NewDad]

i also think that one child is not the norm here.

The norm is less 1.09 child oer fertile woman (2012 estimate). Of course, there will be a number of woman with zero children and a number with two or more. But, I think it is hard to dispute there are far more one child families here than in most places on earth.

As you can see here, Hong Kong is 220th in a list of 222 countries for "replacement ratio".

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html

 

[carang]

sorry, i'm only going by what i see in my two playgroup centres. there are very few only one child families. i would agree that there are perhaps more here than in "home" countries, but almost every child that comes to us is at least one out of 2...

 

[TungBB]

I think after going through SARS, many HK people are very particular about cleanliness. They tried to minimize the need to touch frequently used common things like door handles, lift buttons. So maybe that is why they like to wait for others to open doors for them.
I have my share of 'opening' doors for others while managing a stroller. But I have also experienced on many occasions on mtr and buses where people gave up their seats when they saw that I was carrying a baby.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[2010-NewDad]

sorry, i'm only going by what i see in my two playgroup centres. there are very few only one child families. i would agree that there are perhaps more here than in "home" countries, but almost every child that comes to us is at least one out of 2...

Fortunately, we are able to draw on more comprehensive statistics. From last years census, you can select the 5th link

http://www.census2011.gov.hk/en/main-table.html

Domestic Households by Household Composition, Household Size and Number of Children Aged Under 15 in Household, 2011 (D105)

For 2,368,796 domestic households, we can see

Zero children: 1 767 777
One child: 407 699
Two children: 172 121
Three+ children: 21 199

So, the numbers make it very clear than "one children families" are the overwhelming norm here and approximately two thirds of families with children have a single child.

 

[carang]

interesting to note... perhaps it has something to do with finances? if they can afford playgroups for their kids, then they can afford more than one...

 

[2010-NewDad]

Possibly.. I would think it has a lot to do with education level and household living space. There is a strong inverse correlation between average education levels and average family size.

Plus, when most families live in very small apartments - sometimes with elderly relatives - it must be a disincentive to have more children.

 

[JoyousBaby]

Wow I can imagine if we have a gathering we will have so much to talk, laugh n discuss about. How interesting.
Instead of silly advertisement they have on TV, they should have One like, telling people " courtesy is for free, courtesy is for u and me!!" another ad on a "must have" sanitizer with us since they are so afraid getting "GERMS" from door handles, lift buttons!! Hahaha..
To the extend I don't walk behind people and rather open my own door
Yesterday this lady was awesome, to my surprised she walked quickly, overtake me n open the door for me, she must be thinking I'm crazy, cos I feel so thankful, told her she is really great, thank her and said she is really kind.. Could be one of I here that had opened the door for me!! (just kidding)
This is what I would do for other people even with a pram I would hold door for another mom with pram or others that need help. Isn't this is a way it should be? Makes everyone happy!!