In his bid to become a better parent, Abel Cheng decided to create his own parenting website. “I have to do research and read up on the various topics for the website, so I learnt a lot,” said Cheng, 36.
The father admitted to being very impatient as a parent. “Sometimes when I scream at my child, I feel really bad,” he said.
Parentwonder.com went online in January after Cheng, a former software consultant, toyed with the idea for a few months. He had left his former job and dabbled with website creation in his free time and eventually became very interested in it.
Cheng set up Parentwonder.com to improve his parenting skills and share information. Besides parenting issues, the website also features subjects on marriage, divorce, relationship, pregnancy and sex.
“Being a good parent is not just about raising children but also about being an individual and having a good marriage.” However, he quickly added that the focus is on parenting.
“For a website to be effective, topics cannot be too diluted,” said Cheng, who is also involved in Internet-related businesses and coaching. Currently, he sources for articles online and obtains permission to reuse them on the site. He also works with a few writers to provide fresh content.
Parentwonder.com also features a link called News Nuggets, where readers can post interesting news that they come across. “I want interaction on the website and not just provide information. Under Blog By Parents, readers can write about anything related to parenting,” he added.
The uncluttered site is easy to manoeuvre and also sends out e-mail newsletters to subscribers to keep them abreast of new information on the website. Does Cheng feel he needs to compete with other parenting websites, both local and foreign?
“Each website is unique and has its own strengths and weaknesses. Each has its own followers, who like certain content and what each page contains.” Through his website, Cheng hopes to achieve a few things.
One is to counter the over-emphasis by parents on academic achievements, something Cheng feels strongly against.
“Good grades are important but they are not everything. So what if a child gets 12As but is miserable?” Cheng contended. “The best way to raise children is to bring out the best in them, to develop their strengths and talents. If a child is using his inborn talent to do something, he or she will be very satisfied and will look forward to perfecting it instead of feeling it’s a chore.”
He also stressed that parenting should be enjoyable and that a good husband-and-wife relationship is important. Cheng emphasized the need to treat children with respect. “One good way to know how kids think is to put yourself in their shoes. Children are no different from adults. With kids, you have to walk the talk and treat them with respect,” said Cheng.
Source: thestar.com.my
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