In defence of Hong Kong parents - of which I am proudly one - it is not easy to raise independent children in this city of ours. Most enjoy the luxury of domestic help, and full-time live-in help at that.
This means that very few of us do any of the household chores or jobs that children should be encouraged to do to foster a sense of independence.
It is very difficult to ask them to make their own bed every morning when Mummy and Daddy don't make their own bed - ever.
I grew up in Hong Kong, which has made me incapable of completing any household chore. I can't iron, sew or cook, and my husband insists my attempts at cleaning anything leave much to be desired. It's difficult for me to encourage my children to do what I never do. So much of parenting is learning by example. So it's no wonder that independence remains one of the more elusive qualities of Hong Kong children.
I try, anyway. My husband and I are keen to raise independent children, and so we do what we can to make this a reality in a home where there is always someone around to help.
My eldest two children love to bake, as all young children do. So I encourage this as much as possible. I let them crack eggs, measure out the flour, and make the cake mixture. My daughter, who is nearly three, loves to help cut the mushrooms that will go in her dinner. Armed with a plastic knife, she stands on her little wooden chair next to my helper and hacks away.