Jacopo Della Ragione is originally from Italy, but has lived in Beijing for 15 years. He’s the Managing Director of a Chinese state owned culture and creative company, and his wife, Beijinger Pan Yanrui, is Deputy Director of the Personal Wealth Management Department at the Bank of China. They have one son, Sirio, who’s 6 years old and attends Tsinghua University Primary School.
Does your child watch TV? If so how much, and what does he watch?
He does watch TV, but mostly movies, rarely TV shows. Every day, he watches for half an hour: kids’ films, cartoons, but everything he watches is in Italian. He has started asking for a few things in English, because he knows them too well in Italian. I know that at some point he’ll tell me to get lost! So I’m just trying to delay that moment as much as possible. If he associates Italian with fun and TV it’s easier. Plus Chinese dubbing is horrible.
Does your child use the Internet? If so how do you monitor their use?
He learned to download from the Apple store, I don’t know how. Fortunately we realized immediately and canceled the credit card. I think he knows that there’s something there where you can find things out. I don’t know what age we’ll let him use it on his own… we do sometimes use it together to look for images, because he’s curious about animals. I guess the moment he asks me, I’ll allow him to do it.
Does your child have their own tablet or other electronic device?
He does, he inherited my wife’s iPad! He started using it mostly just to bring along movies when we’re flying to Europe, to make the flight easier for us and for him. Again it was a nice way for us to give him responsibility, about owning something that’s delicate and has a money value.
Does your child play video games? How much, and what sort of games?
We didn’t give him games at first, but last year he saw a neighbor playing games, and of course he was magnetized by it. Right now he’s playing with every Lego game that’s available. I like the idea that he’s playing with something that’s going to stimulate him in the real world. Immediately after he goes to his room and plays with Lego, so somehow it does work! He doesn’t play online games, and he doesn’t play every day. He plays for 15-20 minutes – I usually tell him 10, but we let the time pass a bit longer. Sometimes we use it as a punishment to stop him playing, but sometimes he just forgets about it. “But I didn’t play!” he says, when I tell him it’s bedtime. Yes you did, I say, you just didn’t play with the iPad.
At what age do you think it’s appropriate for a child to have their own mobile phone?
Definitely not primary school! Probably not even middle school. My wife got him one of those watches with GPS and a message system, so the emergency part of it is solved. We know where he is. I like the fact there is a massive delay in messaging, so it doesn’t turn into a chat. I don’t want him to give out our landline number, so maybe when I see that’s a danger I might get him his own phone. But I’ll tell him, “It’s yours, but you can’t take it to school.”
Does your child use any social media?
No. I barely use it myself! Again, at a certain point he’s going to find out and ask me, and I’m not going to say no. I’d rather be there at the beginning so he doesn’t feel it’s something he should hide from me.
Gu Wenqin lives with her husband Zhang Jiahe in Beijing, where they are both freelancers. They have two children: Zhang Yumeng is 4 years old and attends the Chinese Academy of Science No. 4 Kindergarten, while little sister Zhang Shanyi is 2 years old.
Do your children watch TV? If so how much, and what do they watch?
They usually watch cartoons. They watch foreign programs; we don’t let them watch domestic TV.
Do your children use the internet? If so how do you monitor their use?
They don’t surf the internet.
Do your children have their own tablet or other electronic device?
They have an iPad.
Do your children play video games? How much, and what sort of games?
Yes, they play games. They can play any game that they’re interested in.
At what age do you think it’s appropriate for a child to have their own mobile phone?
About 6 years old.
Do your children use any social media?
No, they are too young.
This article originally appeared on pages 39-40 of the October issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JACOPO DELLA RAGIONE AND GU WENQIN
