From Parents to Parents - Fiona Chiang

Changing to Inspire Kids

Written by Christa Danielle

This article is part of Active Parents’ From Parents to Parents series, brought to you in collaboration with Republic Polytechnic, School of Management and Communication. 

Fiona Chiang was not very fond of sport and participating in physical activities in her younger days. However, ever since she became a parent to two energetic boys, Javier and Darius who are five and eight years old respectively, she realised the importance of having an active lifestyle as a family and being an role model for her children, bettering their lives now and for the future.

During the COVID-19 Circuit Breaker period, Fiona started to be more active because “the children could only study at home and could no longer go out to play freely due to the restrictions.” This change in routine therefore prompted her to search on YouTube for different activities for her kids to do at home, which she now feels very grateful for as it provided them the opportunity to be more exposed to different types of sport. Some of the newer activities she had introduced to her boys are mini bowling and hula hoop games.

Besides coming up with fun activities for her children, Fiona also keeps an eye on their diet. She explained that “every child will know what healthy food is and what is not, but children being children, the forbidden food is always the tastiest. So, we, as parents, have to put a stop to that.” With that in mind, she advocates for a healthy diet such as eating tastier and more well-balanced home cooked meals to encourage her children to lead a better lifestyle.

It is essential to note that whatever parents do, children would also want to follow in their footsteps so in order to initiate a change in the children’s lifestyle, they would need inspiration to emulate. As an Active Parent, Fiona thus makes it a point to have at least a solid hour outdoors every week, doing enjoyable activities as a family.