The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday launched an online campaign named "Parenting is Not about Perfection" in China to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood development.
The campaign, launched during UNICEF's first-ever global Parenting Month that kicked off on June 1, is an opportunity to celebrate all caregivers, whether they are a grandparent, mom, dad, auntie or other, for all that they do, according to UNICEF.
"We must acknowledge that parenting during the early years is not only beautiful but also challenging and that every moment with babies won't be perfect," said Cynthia McCaffrey, representative of UNICEF China. "Appreciate these precious early days for all that they are and know that by providing babies with the basics of nutrition, protection, love and stimulation, you're setting them up to thrive."
Through the campaign, UNICEF invites caregivers to share their experiences, photos and videos of "imperfect moments" with children via Weibo and WeChat.
UNICEF China has also launched a new Parenting Site for the Parenting Month, which provides parents and caregivers with practical, professional and unbiased guidance via articles on various topics, including child development, nutrition and breastfeeding, health, protection and education.
China has attached greater importance to child care in recent years. The government in May released a guideline to improve the care of infants under three, calling for more support for families concerning infant care, such as guaranteeing maternity leave and encouraging employers to enable employees who have infants to work flexible hours.
The online campaign will last until July 5.
