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Do you think it is good for parents to help their children choose friends?

Um, in a way, I think it’s beneficial because underage boys and girls do not possess sound judgment as a result of lacking life experience and so might stumble onto the wrong path by connecting with the wrong crowd.

In saying that, however, selecting their own friends and developing friendships is a natural process for kids. Forced friendships can be like forcing a square peg into a round hole. Therefore, instead of depriving youngsters of the right to select those they hang out with, it’s more helpful if parents offer advice and give suggestions about the qualities a good friend should have, such as do they care about you and their honesty.

Do you think it’s necessary for parents to make decisions for their children?

Sure, of course, I think it’s absolutely essential for parents to make decisions for youngsters but only those that have the potential to be life-changing ones, instead of just everything.

It’s beneficial for kids to make their own decisions from a young age such as choosing their own clothes and selecting their own books as it can help them to be more assertive and independent. But when it comes to big decisions, the transformative ones, such as universities to attend and majors to take, parents can offer suggestions from their own perspective and social experience so that such decisions are more informative and less error-prone.

• life-changing 改变生命的
• transformative 转折点；转型
• perspective 角度
• social experience 社会经验
• informative 提供有用信息的；信息丰富的
• error-prone 易出错的

Do you think children should follow all the rules?

Half-half. It’s true that rules are vital for maintaining order and by following rules, underage kids are able to develop routines and become self-disciplined.

Following all the rules in the world, however, is a fast track to kill the personalities and imagination of little kids, which is, in my opinion, almost like a crime. By always being told “You have to do such and such”, it won’t take long for children to lose interest in everything.

• maintaining order 维持秩序
• underage kids 未成年儿童
• self-disciplined 自律
• fast track 快车道
• do such and such 做这做那

Do you think there are too many rules for children to follow, whether at school or at home?

I think so, yes, at least in schools. I remember back in my school days, there were a million rules concerning the do’s and don’ts in and out of school, ‘boys should not have long hair and girls must tie their hair’, ‘no earrings or bracelets or necklaces are allowed on campus’, ‘no chatting is allowed in the classroom during self-study sessions’, ‘no chatting allowed after light’s out’, ‘no eating in the classroom’, just to name a few.

I have to admit that those were painful days for me and I felt like I was living as a robot, pushing myself to do this and that, and for home, I also think many parents set too many rules. At the end of the day, I think children should be allowed to play and enjoy themselves more.

• the do's and don'ts 能做的和不能做的
• bracelets 手镯
• after light's out 熄灯后