“Will My Child’s Friendships Be Okay?”... Seoul Metropolitan Government Offers Expert Advice on Parenting Concerns

[Financial News] How should parents respond when their child gets angry while playing with friends or wants to spend time only with a particular friend?
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has organized an event where parents concerned about their young children’s friendships can work with experts to find solutions. 
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 19th that it will hold the “2026 Seoul Parenting Forum” on the 30th in the auditorium of the Seoul Metropolitan Childcare Support Center.
This year’s forum will focus on the question, “Are My Child’s Friendships Going Well?” It will examine conflicts and emotional difficulties children experience as they interact with their peers, and explore practical parenting approaches, including how much parents should intervene and help.
The forum will focus on situations parents encounter in everyday life, such as children who are highly competitive and cannot accept losing at play, or who become upset when separated from a friend they like. Rather than one-way lectures by experts, the event will put greater emphasis on Q&A sessions where parents can share their concerns and ask for advice.
The consultation will feature Jo Seong-u, director of Gateunmaeum Psychiatry Clinic, and child psychology expert Lee Da-rang. Jo will discuss problems that arise in friendships, with a focus on the emotional and behavioral development of children and adolescents, while Lee will offer guidance on how parents can respond in ways suited to their children’s psychological and developmental characteristics. Broadcaster Park Seul-gi, who is raising two children, will host the event.
The forum is open to caregivers interested in their young children’s friendships. Applications can be submitted through the Seoul Parenting Forum’s dedicated website by the 23rd, and 100 participants will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants who submit questions about their children’s friendships will have them reviewed in advance by experts, who will answer them at the forum. Additional questions will also be taken at the event.
The Seoul Parenting Forum was launched in 2023 and has been held five times in total through last year. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, participants’ average satisfaction rating over that period was 99.8%. This year, the Q&A session has been extended so parents can ask more questions.
Online content will also be available for parents who cannot attend the event. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to produce short videos featuring key cases discussed at the forum and expert advice, and publish them on the Seoul Metropolitan Childcare Support Center’s YouTube and Instagram accounts.
Separately, the Seoul Metropolitan Government operates a Parenting Coaching Center that offers free consultations to parents who face ongoing difficulties with their children’s behavior or parenting approaches. Available services include video-observation coaching, in which experts analyze videos of parents and children playing together and suggest ways to improve; self-assessment coaching to review parenting practices; and Yukajaram parenting counseling for questions about children’s development and adjustment.
“Friendships in early childhood are an important part of how children develop social skills and emotional competence, so it is important for parents to understand their children’s behavior and feelings and support them appropriately,” said Ma Chae-suk, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Affairs Office. “Through this parenting forum, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will help caregivers work through the concerns they face in everyday life with experts, and support children’s healthy growth and parents’ ability to provide stable care through a range of services, including the Parenting Coaching Center.”

[email protected] Seong Chorong Reporter