Playmate tutoring services welcomed by parents

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Parents of only children in China have found a new way of solving some important issues -- playmate tutoring. They hire college students to play with their kids after school. The playmates help the kids with their school lessons, play sports and even PC games with the kids.

Chen Xuefei is a senior at a normal college. She is busy tutoring dozens of children in her spare time. Different from other tutors, Chen's job also includes playing games with her students.

Chen Xuefei, student of Capital Normal University, said, "The parents want us to help build up the kids' confidence, help them develop a more outgoing personality, as well as help with schoolwork. I usually do some activities with them like making handcrafts or playing games."

With convenience in mind, more and more busy parents are turning to hire playmates to accompany their only child. Tutor-service companies say before weekends and holidays they receive a lot of inquires for playmates.

Su Xiao, Manager of Eduease.com, said, "The demand has doubled each year since 2005."

Experts say playmates can have a positive influence on kids, helping them develop extracurricular hobbies and enrich their knowledge. And, there are high requirements for being a qualified playmate tutor. They need to be versatile, highly responsible, and have some knowledge of psychology. However, parents are still encouraged to supervise any tutoring.

Xie Chunfeng, Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences, said, "Some parents just let things go after hiring the playmates, and never communicate with them. I think the smart parents explain what they want to the playmates, get feedback from them over time and learn how things are going with their kids. They should also participate when necessary."

Experts also warn parents not to expect too much from the playmates. Guidance from parents is most important for kids' growth, and no one can be hired to do that.