Many students long for home-cooked meals.

" I go to school from Monday to Sunday."

"It's been a long time since I've had the chance to eat a meal with my family because every evening I have to go to extra classes or study. My meals are always rushed; I just eat whatever's available to finish the meal and then continue studying." This is what DCT, a 12th-grade student at Tran Van Giau High School in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, confided to a reporter from Thanh Nien newspaper.

The sight of students hastily eating in front of the school gate, or on their parents' motorbike seats, is no longer unfamiliar.

For example, MT, a second-grade student in District 1, said: "I go to school from Monday to Sunday. Every evening I go to extra classes, and on Saturdays and Sundays I also go to English classes. I want to have dinner at home, but my family rarely eats together." This student said that her breakfast is food bought from convenience stores, her lunch is at school, and in the afternoon, her mother buys her sticky rice or bread to eat before taking her to extra classes.

Ms. TT (parent of MT) said that due to work requirements, she has to take her child to afternoon tutoring classes until 7 PM so that "someone can look after the child, and I can also complete my work for the day"; and on weekends, she has to make up for missed English classes. Normally during the week, Ms. T's family doesn't get home until 7:45 PM, and she and her husband each have dinner beforehand.

At 6 PM on a weekday, sitting in the front row of an English center on Pham Hung Street, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, we met a primary school student having a snack before class. Many other students, still wearing their middle or high school uniforms, had just gotten off their parents' motorbikes and were munching on sandwiches.

PT, a 12th-grade student at a high school in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, has a packed schedule of evening tutoring. On Saturdays and Sundays, he's even busier, participating in extracurricular clubs and attending tutoring sessions. Many weekends, he attends three tutoring sessions, from morning till night. "By the time I get home, everyone has already eaten dinner. I eat later, shower, rest a bit, and then continue with my homework," PT recounts. The male student says he's still luckier than many of his friends because his mother always manages to prepare breakfast for the whole family. Taking advantage of a few minutes in the morning, the whole family can eat together and chat a few minutes before everyone rushes off for a busy day.

I asked many students if they had any regrets. Some said they wished they could reduce their extra tutoring sessions, and enjoy relaxing dinners with their families without worrying about homework. But that's very difficult now; they're always afraid that if their academic results aren't as good as they'd hoped, their parents will be disappointed.

Mr. Do Dinh Dao (Principal of Nguyen Huu Tho High School, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City)

Parents are busy earning a living, while children are caught in the whirlwind of studying.

Mr. Do Dinh Dao, Principal of Nguyen Huu Tho High School, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, recounted how, during many conversations with students and parents, he felt deeply saddened when he heard some students confide that they longed for a family meal with both parents present every evening. "Some students told me that their parents are busy earning a living, providing for the family, and only come home late at night. Some buy food online, eat, study, and then go to sleep. By the time their parents get home, the students are often fast asleep. Their parents are often exhausted when they get home late, so the whole family doesn't cook anymore; they mostly order food delivery. Home-cooked meals, with the whole family sitting together, are incredibly rare," Mr. Dao said.

A student has a snack before attending an evening tutoring session outside an English center in Ho Chi Minh City.

The principal also mentioned that many families rarely have meals together because of their children's extracurricular schedules. Many students attend school for lunch and dinner, then quickly buy a sandwich or a box of sticky rice outside the school gate at 5 PM, eating while rushing to their first extra class until 7 PM. Some students even have two classes in one evening, sometimes not getting home until 9 or 10 PM.

"I asked many students if they had any regrets. Some said they wished they could reduce their extra tutoring sessions, and enjoy a relaxing evening meal with their family without worrying about homework. But that's very difficult now; they're always afraid that if their academic results aren't as good as they'd hoped, their parents will be disappointed," Mr. Dao confided.

Mr. Le Van Nam, a chemistry teacher at Tran Van Giau High School, believes there is a worrying situation. A number of students share that they feel overwhelmed. Many feel like they are living in a never-ending cycle of studying, homework, and exams. They are hesitant to skip extra classes to enjoy a nice meal with their family. To keep up with their schedules, many students resort to eating quickly, just to get it over with before attending classes.

If only for a moment you would suddenly look back…

The female principal of a school in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, believes that everyone wants their children to be intelligent and successful. Many parents, due to circumstances and the worries of making ends meet, cannot provide their children with a complete meal, forcing them to send their children to school late or to extra classes in the hope of a brighter future. Parents have their own reasons. However, a family meal is not just about providing nutrition and favorite foods for children. It's also a way for adults to connect with the family and educate students to care for and help their grandparents and parents. In particular, the art of parenting lies in knowing how to naturally and intimately encourage children to confide in, share, and tell their stories during the meal.

"As someone working in education, I think that every parent with children of school age faces so many challenges. If we gradually forget to give our children a family meal, we should sometimes stop and reflect. We should stop and consider whether our children's need to study hard and pass entrance exams to prestigious schools is truly their need or something we are hoping for? We should stop and consider whether we have given our children enough attention," the principal expressed.

At the same time, according to her, schools are currently striving towards a happy school environment. However, it needs to be broadened to include a happy environment. In that environment, students must bring what they have learned at school back to their families. This means that children do not sulk or react in ways that upset their parents, but instead confidently express their personal opinions in various ways. It means that children know how to choose their words when sharing, how to send messages to their parents and other adults, so that parents can see their children's true needs and dreams. This is spreading the spirit of happiness that the children are instilled with by their teachers at school…

"For students, studying is very important, but maintaining a balance between studying and relaxing is equally important. Students need time to rest to regenerate energy, take care of their mental health, and build relationships with family and friends. Only with proper rest can students study effectively, maintain creativity, and improve overall health. Overworking, neglecting meals and sleep, and lacking connection with family and friends do not help create a healthy and happy learning environment," said teacher Le Van Nam. (to be continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhieu-hoc-sinh-them-bua-com-gia-dinh-185241208192438584.htm