The Wee Bean founder Amy Tang on raising children who want to give back
The creator of the sustainable children’s brand believes that teaching with actions speaks louder than wordsAs a proud mom of two and founder of social enterprise The Wee Bean, Amy Tang values the power of giving back to the community. From creating environmentally sustainable products and partnering with charities to volunteering in her personal time, Tang is passionate about making a positive change to the environment and raising her children to be kind and empathetic.
Read more: Hong Kong children’s brands and the entrepreneurs behind them
Growing up in Vancouver, Canada, Tang’s parents has worked hard to provide her and her siblings a better life. Coming from an immigrant family and seeing how her parents struggled has taught her to be grateful for the little things in life.
Tang now lives in Hong Kong with her husband, their two kids and their dog Loki. Her entrepreneurial journey began after her firstborn daughter developed severe eczema. In search of a solution, she dove into learning about the best natural ingredients and materials to treat this common skin condition. This led her to create organic swaddles and bibs for her baby to use, and soon after, The Wee Bean was born.
The Wee Bean is an online shop that offers baby essentials made with sustainable, organic materials and are gentle for babies’ skin. Putting her ethos into her work , Tang partners with various non-profit organisations through her brand to contribute to causes like women’s empowerment. For instance, the brand’s namesake Bean rattle doll is a collaboration with Pebble Child, a non-profit trade organisation in Bangladesh that employs disadvantaged women who would otherwise find it difficult to obtain employment.
Read more: 13 charities to support in Hong Kong
When it comes to empowering her own children to give back, Tang believes in leading by action. “Children are the key to our future and they are constantly absorbing so much from what they see from their parents as their main role models. When we involve them in meaningful actions or reach out to help others, they learn that this is a natural response.”
Last Christmas, Tang’s daughter was two years old and had just started to develop a better understanding of the world around her. She was helping Tang with the gifts and there was one monkey toy she really liked. Tang explained to her daughter that many other children may not have a toy and the monkey can accompany them and make them feel happy. Her daughter took a pause and packed the monkey into the bag.
“It’s a small but memorable moment. Kids really do understand a lot more than we give them credit for,” said Tang. That was when she felt like the proudest mum in the world.
Taking small steps in your daily life can encourage your children to look for ways to make a contribution and help others. “There’s a book I read to my daughter all the time called Have You Filled a Bucket Today. It talks about acts of kindness you can do to make someone feel good which in turns fills your own bucket with happiness.
“I love the lessons behind it because teaching your kids to give back to the community can ultimately boost their own self-esteem, when they see that they can make a difference in someone’s life. This to me is one of the greatest attributes I can teach my children.”
Tang wants to pass on her father’s teachings of giving back to the community, whether it be big or small. “Just as teaching your kids to ride a bike, it’s essentially building their charitable muscles so that it becomes second nature,” she said.
