Keeping tabs on children's activites to prevent them from developing a gambling habit

SOME parents view gambling as a casual form of entertainment during special occasions, especially during Chinese New Year.

However, they ensure and stress to their children that gambling should not become a habit or become a daily addiction and is purely for fun during festive occassions.

Those interviewed by The Star said parents played a big role in ensuring that their children kept away from this activity.

Insurance agent Lee Bee Lan, 50, said she allows her children to gamble during Chinese New Year but using only small amounts of money.

“I would only give them RM1 or 50 sen to gamble with relatives or friends. Anything above that is banned.

“Besides, my husband and I keep a close watch on their gambling activities,” said the mother of four.

In a survey last year, it was reported by Gamblers Rehab Centre (GRC) Malaysia that 93% of 600 primary schoolchildren interviewed had admitted to gambling beforeand 89% of 5,000 secondary school students had also said the same.

Many, according to the report, had picked up the habit from peers and even their parents.

When it comes to peer influence, Lee said she would make it a point to constantly remind her three sons and one daughter to choose their friends wisely.

“I think this is very important because children, especially teenagers, are easily influenced and could get involved in social ills due to peer pressure.

“They must know who to stay away from.

“I always encourage them to bring their friends home so that I get to see what they are like,” she said.

Lee also keeps track of her children’s bank accounts to ensure her children are not involved in online gambling, such as during the FIFA World Cup season.

“If they are doing so, I would be the first to know.

“I also do not allow my children to have access to their bank accounts, not even their account books.

“This way they cannot transfer money to any suspicious parties when they surf the Internet,” she said.

Homemaker Chan Bee Suan, 51, meanwhile, feels that gambling is akin to a game, and if done so during specific times by schoolchildren and teenagers under the supervision of their parents, should be more acceptable.

“It is important for parents to educate their children on the consequences of heavy gambling, and set an example by not indulging in gambling as well.

“The celebration of Chinese New Year is associated with gambling but I would warn my children not to let it become a habitual thing,” the mother of two said.

In response to if she was concerned about her children getting involved in gambling during the 2014 FIFA World Cup season, Chan said she was not too worried about it.

“I believe these things should be inculcated in children since young, and I have always taught my children not to compare themselves based on what their friends do,” she said, adding that she would report to the school authorities if she found out that her children were gambling with their peers.

Manager Y.L. Chan feels that children should be allowed to have a feel of gambling, to enable them to judge for themselves.

“Personally, I would rather let them experience what it is like to gamble, under my supervision of course, rather than have them do it behind my back.

“Curiosity is a dangerous thing and the more you tell children not to do something, they will do it.

“I grew up being able to gamble with my friends and relatives during Chinese New Year and I did not turn out to be a gambler,” said the mother of two children, aged nine and 13.

Entertainer M. Elanjselvan, 54, said he always made sure to instil values in his children, especially when it came to telling them what they needed to know about gambling.

“I often tell them that if you gamble with a lot of money, you will lose lots of money.

“If you gamble away a little money, you would lose some.

“But if you do not gamble, you would not lose any money at all,” said the father of two.

He added that schoolchildren and teenagers would be more prone to be involved in gambling if they were brought up in an environment that made gambling seem like a normal thing.

“My wife and I would also tell our children of the destructive consequences of gambling, such as people going bankrupt, people losing their spouses and children, and some who were even driven to commit suicide.

“I hope my children will absorb everything that we have taught them since young about gambling and will stay away from it.

“Even if they do it during special occasions, they should do it in moderation and under adult supervision,” he said.

Teacher Sharon Cheong, 55, feels that parents should also monitor their children’s online activities because almost anything can be carried out on the Internet, including gambling.

She said it was good to know about the websites the children were visiting, and the type of online activities they were involved in.

“Technology is extremely advanced these days, you can transfer money online to buy products just as easily as you can transfer money to gamble online,” Cheong said, adding that she would also keep track of her children’s monthly expenses.

Likewise, housewife Y.L. Chong, 37, said there was no telling what children would be exposed to on the Internet, no matter how much care or caution was being exercised.

“Unless you are sitting next to your child the entire time, the child is bound to come across something that is inappropriate or negative,” she said.

Chong added that parents should also set good examples for their children.

“We should not be gambling in front of them if we do not want them to gamble.

“How else can you stop them from doing so?” she asked.

Fellow teacher Joanne Cheng, 51, said parents should be more vigilant in monitoring their children’s behaviour so that they would be able to sense if anything was wrong.

“We should take notice when they suddenly ask for a lot of money, or if they try to go out at odd hours.

“Something must be wrong if they are not behaving like their usual selves, and we as parents need to ask and advice them when this happens,” she said.