Photo: Li Hao/GT

The happiness of Chinese children has not seen much fluctuation in the past decade, according to a report on the happiness index of Chinese children recently published by a research institute.

The report, published just ahead of Children's Day in China on Saturday, pointed out that the parent-child relationship and education are two major factors that affect the happiness of children in the country.

The children's happiness index in 2019 was 81.7 out of 100, according to the report released by Beijing Answer-Child Markets Consulting Ltd Co sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.

In 2008, the index was 81.4 and in 2012 it was 83.6.

In April and May, the research took surveys of 3,212 parents of children under 12 years old from seven regions in China, including urban and rural areas.

According to the report, as the children got older, their happiness index showed a declining trend.

Children aged 10 to 12 marked 7.1 points lower than toddlers under 3 years old, indicating that entering school was a source of unhappiness for children in China.

Boys and girls are, in general, equally happy. With the improvement of society, gender equality has become more obvious. In today's China, the child has become the center of the family, which tries its best to create a positive environment for the child, the report concluded.

Meanwhile, the report found that the living environment makes a difference in children's happiness.

In first-tier cities, children, like adults, face greater pressure. This group of children have the lowest happiness index, the research found.

"Children from second-tier and fourth-tier cities are the happiest," the report said. Second-tier cities are better for growing up in because they have full social resources and less pressure.

However, there is no difference in happiness between children living in urban and rural areas.

Children without siblings are happier - their average happiness index is 82 points. Children from families with two children score 80.6 and those from three-child families only score 76.1 on average.

Different factors

The report listed the main factors that affect children's happiness.

The parent-child relationship is the first factor. The average happiness index for children with bad parent-child relationships is only 73.5 points.

Meanwhile, children who are about to enter elementary or junior high schools have a lower happiness index. The report suggests paying special attention to these groups during their transition period.

Sleep habits also affect children's happiness. The earlier children sleep, the happier they are, the research found.

Better performances in school can also boost happiness. Children with outstanding performances mark 85 on average in the index, 12.5 points more than those who do not perform well in school.

Moreover, children who do not frequently play video or online games are happier. Although games can enrich children's lives and broaden their horizons, playing too much will make them nervous and affect their moods.

Children who love doing sports and reading are happier. Participating in public welfare activities can also increase their happiness, the report indicated.

However, the research found that watching TV does not affect children's happiness much.

Unhappy children

Li Luling, founder of Answer and member of the research team, told the Global Times that 9.5 percent of children scored less than 60 points in the research.

Li noted that these children are more likely to have worse parent-child relationships, school performances and sleep habits. She suggested parents try to change these factors to improve their children's happiness.

"Active social participation could boost children's happiness more than simply playing and having fun," Li said. "For instance, they could join in public benefit activities, sports and activities with friends."
Newspaper headline: Keeping the kids happy