So.... what is your Prudential Relationship Index...

Did you know that Prudential recently launched the inaugural 2016 Prudential Relationship Index (PRI) in the attempt to understand the state of personal relationships in Malaysia and throughout Asia. These included relationships with partners, children, parents, friends and relatives. A full score of 100 would of course be the ideal score on the PRI meaning that a person’s relationship is everything that they want ..

After all, we cannot deny that in life, it all comes down to the people we care about. Our close relationships, friendships and intimate ties are important to our own happiness, well being and longevity.

pic credit prudential fb

The 2016 Prudential Relationship Index for Malaysia is 71/100. This would mean that in Malaysia, Malaysian people’s primary relationship fulfils 71% of their desired relationship needs.

Prudential talked to about 5,000 people in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam where they brought up questions about relationships with partners, children, parents, friends and relatives.

In Malaysia itself, approximately 605 interviews were conducted through online sampling with adults between 25 and 55 years of age. Respondents were residents of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya with household incomes of at least MYR4,000 per month, representing approximately the top two-thirds of household incomes in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

In the survey, the overall relationship score that Malaysian parents have with their children is found to be quite not bad… at 52/100, slightly higher than the average scores for the region (48/100) and well, when it comes to technology, Malaysians are pretty positive about the impact of technology on relationships with  66% saying that technology has made it easier to make new friends.

To find out about your own Prudential Relationship Index, try it out here...Prudential Relationship Index quiz

CHILDREN
So…… out of 69% of the adults surveyed in Malaysia are parents. On average, each family is said to have two children. 

One of the interesting thing found out was that when it comes to relationships, Malays are said to have relatively strong relationships with their children (54/100), compared to the Malaysian Chinese (49/100). Many parents in Malaysia place great emphasis on companionship with their children with almost two-thirds (65%) of parents who think it is important in relationships to do things together with their children.

Naturally they also value moments and many believe that their children can make them laugh or smile from within (64%).

Malays being Muslim parents places a lot of emphasise that their children grow up with the same religion (60%)

One-third (33%) of Malaysians think that their children misbehave every week – one of the higher proportions in the region, after only parents surveyed in Singapore. 31% of Malaysians argue with their children every week.

MY TWO CENTS

Personally for me, as a mother of 3 and step mom to two others. My relationship with my children may not be super ideal as any parent would wish for, but we talk to each other, and I try to respect all their wishes where I can.. times have changed from the past where adults expect so much from their children and the children have to deliver – like times when children are expected to give their parents money when they start working, etc…

For now all I want and would make me happy would be if my children were all to have a reasonably good life, marry the person who can make them happy and also live a good life… I do not quite expect them to care for me, though if they do it would be a bonus…

As one of the Muslim parents, yes, I have to say I expect my children to be reasonably decent Muslims, though I REALLY do not want them to be too pious/ extreme/ over zealous…for me, we should live an average life making mistakes, learning through it and repenting, but of course, correcting ourselves to be a better person instead of the many over zealous extremist who does nothing better than to point fingers at everyone’s faults…

And in my opinion, being a Chinese married to a Malay family, - I might be wrong, but am just writing my observations here - I think Malaysian Chinese tend to make their children independent and besides that, put a lot of stress in extra classes and lessons to keep their children occupied, sometimes to the extend that a tutor friend of mine once said that Chinese parents like to pay to get rid of their children to have their own free time... from piano lessons, ballet lessons, dance class, taekwondo classes, etc... and even when they have babies, they tend to send their babies to full time babysitting and only see the kids once a week or so, whereas Malay families tend to raise their kids at home with or without a maid, or with the help of their family members...thus most Malay families have a closer relationship to their off springs than the Chinese families...



For me, I love nothing more then to be able to let my children be children and experience whatever they can in life...as well as spend quality time with them...

As parents there are many a times when we also tend to let our own children down, such as times when we promise to do something with them but when work or adult things take precedence and so on…

Children being children tend to misbehave from time to time and if they do something wrong, as parents, I think we should tell them what they did was wrong and correct it… however we must also accept our children as the individuals they are and respect the choices they make…

I am closest to my youngest daughter since she has been with me since the day she was born but I love my other two children as well.. and there are times they make me smile.. and feel pride for their achievements… and arguments… Hmmm… naturally when you live together, you will tend to have arguments especially when you have different opinions… when your kids have moved out, the arguments get lesser, since you do not see them all the time, but I believe arguments are healthy as it can make us reflect back on it and perhaps compromise…..

TECHNOLOGY

Malaysians are said to be quite positive about the impact of technology on relationships. About two-thirds (66%) say that technology has made it easier to make new friends. They are more than twice as likely to think that technology makes it easier to have deep conversations (41%) than to think that it makes deep conversations more difficult (20%).

59% of Malaysians say that they are active on social media. Among those in the survey, each has an average of 280 different social media contacts – the average among Malays is 353 contacts. On average Malaysians say that 28% of their social media contacts are “good” friends. More than half (55%) say they get excited when their friends call or text them.

44% say they spend more time texting their friends than actually talking to them, and 18% say they frequently message other people who are in the same residence as them.

pic credit from elearning industry

And although they think positively about technology, Malaysians are not addicted to their phones and their computers. 91% of Malaysians would consider having tech-free days in order to spend more time with the people they know. 40% say they already do so.

MY TWO CENTS

Huhuhu… this is hard… personally as a blogger and social media influencer -or should I call myself a social media micro-influencer since I am just a little drop in the ocean where those other social media influencers have hundred of thousands or even millions of followers and viewers...- I am always updating my status in Instagram, Facebook or my blogs... 

So yes, I daresay I am not only active on social media but hooked on it also... For me social media and technology has helped me make plenty of new friends and even find old lost friends... it is an amazing platform...though you do have to weed out some scammers, fakes and people who just like to try take advantage, scam or judge you...

I am more of an introvert, even when I like making friends but I am not a person of many words so I prefer texting and even receiving funny photos, jokes, videos to talking to people....so personally for me, I do not call people that much but enjoy texting people...So yes, I have to admit I frequently message and text my love ones who live with me a lot too...

And when it comes to addiction... I am a self confessed addict, but my husband, and the people around me probably can live without their phones for a few days...

Anyway, do watch the video below....