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On January 1st of this year, the "Family Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China" officially came into effect, marking the first time China has enacted specific legislation on family education. This signifies the beginning of an era where parents can legally raise children, meaning the state can intervene in cases of inappropriate family education.
We all know that the most common problems with neighborhood noise are related to children running, jumping, playing ball, and playing with toys.
Children with poor self-control and a natural inclination to run, jump, and play, combined with the already poor sound insulation of the floor, have caused significant conflicts between upstairs and downstairs neighbors. When children have problems, we often attribute the cause to family education. But is there a direct relationship between children's noise and family education?
From the above cases, it's clear that whether a child makes noise is related to their nature, as well as the constant guidance and instruction from their parents. Therefore, whether the conflict can be resolved ultimately depends on family education itself. But then another question arises: how can we make the parents realize the shortcomings and inappropriate methods of their parenting? Let's first examine what aspects of my country's new "Family Education Promotion Law" deserve attention, and what those aspects are related to children's noise.
Chapter Two: Family Responsibility
Article 14 Parents or other guardians shall establish a sense of responsibility that the family is the first classroom and parents are the first teachers, assume the primary responsibility for implementing family education for minors, and educate minors to develop good thoughts, character and habits with correct ideas, methods and behaviors.
Other family members living together who have full civil capacity should assist and cooperate with the minor's parents or other guardians in carrying out family education.
Article 15 Parents or other guardians and other family members of minors shall pay attention to family building, cultivate a positive and healthy family culture, establish and pass on good family traditions, promote the traditional Chinese family virtues, jointly build civilized and harmonious family relationships, and create a good family environment for the healthy growth of minors.
Article 16 Parents or other guardians of minors shall, in accordance with the characteristics of the physical and mental development of minors at different age groups, conduct family education guided by the following:
(i) Educate minors to love the Party, the country, the people, the collective, and socialism, establish the concept of safeguarding national unity, strengthen the sense of community of the Chinese nation, and cultivate a sense of national identity and patriotism;
(ii) Educate minors to be virtuous and kind, respect the elderly and love the young, love their families, be diligent and thrifty, unite and help each other, be honest and friendly, abide by laws and regulations, and cultivate their good social morality, family virtues, personal morality and legal awareness;
(iii) Help minors establish correct views on success, guide them to cultivate a wide range of interests, healthy aesthetic pursuits and good learning habits, and enhance their scientific exploration spirit, innovative awareness and ability;
(iv) Ensure that minors have a balanced diet, engage in scientific exercise, get enough sleep, and enjoy physical and mental well-being, guide them to develop good living and behavioral habits, and promote their healthy physical and mental development;
(v) Pay attention to the mental health of minors, teach them to cherish life, and provide them with safety knowledge education on traffic, healthy internet use, and prevention of bullying, drowning, fraud, trafficking, and sexual assault, so as to help them master safety knowledge and skills and enhance their awareness and ability to protect themselves.
(vi) Help minors establish correct labor concepts, participate in labor within their capabilities, improve their self-care and independent living abilities, and cultivate excellent qualities of hard work and a love for labor.
Article 17 When parents or other guardians of minors conduct family education, they shall pay attention to the minors' physical, psychological, and intellectual development, respect their right to participate in relevant family affairs and express their opinions, and reasonably use the following methods:
(a) Personally raise children and strengthen parent-child time;
(ii) Joint participation, giving full play to the roles of both parents;
(iii) Teaching according to circumstances and integrating education into daily life;
(iv) Subtle influence, combining verbal instruction with personal example;
(v) Emphasize both strictness and kindness, and give equal importance to care and love while maintaining high standards;
(vi) Respect differences and provide scientific guidance based on age and individual characteristics;
(vii) Engage in equal communication, showing respect, understanding, and encouragement;
(viii) Mutual promotion, with parents and children growing together;
(ix) Other methods and approaches that are beneficial to the all-round development and healthy growth of minors.
Article 23 Parents or other guardians of minors shall not discriminate against minors on the basis of gender, physical condition, intelligence, etc., shall not commit domestic violence, and shall not coerce, induce, instigate, condone or take advantage of minors to engage in activities that violate laws, regulations and social morality.
Source: "Family Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China"; the parts in red are potentially related to noise.
The Law on the Promotion of Family Education primarily clarifies the legal responsibilities of parents or other guardians in implementing family education, sets requirements for improving family education capabilities and creating a positive family environment, and provides guidance and regulations on the content and methods of family education. For parents who refuse to fulfill their family education responsibilities, the government, schools, and society will take corrective measures such as criticism, admonishment, and reprimand.
Although the law does not explicitly state that family education should be coordinated with neighborhood relations, its greatest function is to provide a standard for family education from an official perspective, so that the quality education of families is recognized and corrected, rather than being left in a vague state, leaving those who behave incorrectly in an incomprehensible sense of righteous indignation.
For example:
With the Family Education Promotion Law in place, when we argue with our neighbors about our children's education, the conversation will likely go something like this:
Me: It's past 11 p.m. now, isn't your child asleep yet? Running around like this is disturbing our rest.
Neighbor: My child goes to bed whenever he wants, it's none of your business. Mind your own business!
Me: How can you be so unreasonable? You can't teach your child properly like this.
Neighbor: Which law stipulates that our children must go to bed at a certain time? Which law tells you how I should educate my children? If you're so good at teaching, why don't you become a teacher instead of a parent?
Me: Who told you that only teachers can teach children? It's the father's fault if the child isn't taught. The "Family Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China" officially came into effect on January 1, 2022, clearly stipulating that "parents should establish a sense of responsibility as their child's first teacher." Article 16, point 4 also clearly states that guardians need to ensure minors have balanced nutrition, scientific exercise, sufficient sleep, and mental and physical well-being, guiding them to develop good living and behavioral habits and promoting their healthy physical and mental development. I think I've made myself clear. Family education isn't unregulated by law; it's just that your limited knowledge restricts your child's growth. Don't try to use your inability, difficulty, or lack of time as excuses to shirk responsibility. Oh, and by the way, Article 23 of the law also stipulates that parents or other guardians of minors must not coerce, induce, instigate, indulge, or exploit minors to engage in activities that violate laws, regulations, and social morality. If you deliberately take retaliatory action out of anger, I will collect evidence and, incidentally, make you the first defendant in the violation of the "Family Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China."
As mentioned above, family education is now an area where the state can intervene. The failure to educate one's children is no longer limited to moral condemnation; improper actions can also face legal penalties. If you are struggling to manage your child's noise levels and experiencing serious conflicts with your neighbors, please promptly implement soundproofing and vibration reduction measures for your flooring.