“Ready for change”: Accompanying Your Child with Understanding and Love

Parenting is a complex and challenging process that requires patience, love, and deep understanding. To walk alongside parents on this journey, GFS Ecopark Campus organized the workshop “Ready for Change: A Safe Haven, A Strong Launchpad”, featuring Associate Professor Dr. Le Van Hao—Former Vice Director of the Institute of Psychology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

The seminar began with two thought-provoking questions posed by Dr. Le Van Hao: "When was the last time your child proactively came to you to share something truly important to them?" and "When was the last time you wanted to talk to your child, but they closed themselves off or refused to share?" These questions struck a deep chord with parents, echoing their shared desire to understand their children better and create an environment where children feel confident and comfortable opening up about everything.

Dr. Le Van Hao emphasized: Behavior is merely the tip of the iceberg. Behind a so-called "naughty" child is often an outburst of stress, fear, unfulfilled expectations, or unmet needs for recognition. What parents truly need is to pause and look deeply at these root causes rather than slapping negative labels on their children or attempting to erase their temperaments.

According to Dr. Le Van Hao, parents often become angry when children go against expectations, frequently attempting to control all activities to exert authority—especially as children enter their teenage years. However, parents can foster positive influence by acting as role models for their children to observe and emulate. Furthermore, parental monitoring should stem from psychological connection—using empathetic awareness rather than judgment or anger when a child falls short of expectations.

To accompany children effectively, Dr. Le Van Hao offered practical methods for parents to reduce pressure and build stronger connections. Change begins with listening from the heart and respecting all of the child's emotions without judgment. Alongside this, parents should provide clear behavioral guidance, explain reasoning clearly, support children in problem-solving, and set healthy boundaries for their safety and well-being.

Closing the emotional 120-minute session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Hao highlighted: “Parenting is not a technical process to create a product according to our wishes, but a relationship.” Following the workshop, parents departed with the shared realization that parenting is a lifelong learning journey. With genuine understanding and love, the door to a child's inner world will always reopen, empowering them to confidently navigate their own path to maturity.

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