Taipei, May 4 (CNA) Providing children with a quality education and spending time with them are the key to successful parenting,according to Charlene Yang, the wife of incumbent Foreign MinisterTimothy Yang, who was giving tips to working mothers on how to strike a balance between work and family.

Unnecessary worries can be avoided and more time could even be saved if one takes quality into consideration when making a parenting decision, she said in an interview with CNA ahead of Mother's Day.

Taking education as an example, the mother of two recalled the tremendous efforts she put in when selecting a good kindergarten in the Kingdom of Lesotho, where her husband was posted for nine years.

"I would inquire about the teacher's background and ask for feedback from other parents to make sure that they study in a desirable environment," Yang said.

"The hard work eventually paid off, knowing the children are in good hands when you are head over heels at work," said Yang.

While stationed in Lesotho, Ireland, the United States, Australia and Indonesia, Yang's schedule was full of diplomatic gatherings, leaving her with very little time for her children, like most working moms.

"We, especially my husband, were busy, so it is also importantto let your children know how to be independent," she said.

Yang said her daughters, despite being picked on at school, would try to resolve issues on their own, a quality that has evolved into an important personality trait.

With her parenting philosophy, she managed to raise her daughters, Ning-i and Szu-ting, into a caring doctor in Taiwan and a financial specialist in the U.S.

"The key to parenting really lies in quality instead of quantity," she said.

Instead of spending long hours watching over children, it is more cost-efficient to give them undivided attention, care and support. The children, on the other hand, can sincerely feel the devotion, she said.

"Every Mother's Day, my daughters write me cards, saying how they appreciate my efforts," she said.

"I enjoy every step of parenting and made sure that I always put on a happy smile doing whatever it is that I do," she said, reminding other parents that setting a good example through action is also abrilliant way to teach values.

(By Nancy Liu)
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