Kids' lives in Vietnam vary based on where kids live, what their parents and/or guardians do for work, how much money their families make and kids' personal interests and goals. In Vietnam, kids usually start primary school (grades one through five) when they are five or six years old. However, many kids actually begin going to public and private kindergartens (to learn numbers and the Vietnamese alphabet) when they are younger, sometimes when they are two or three years old. Education is very important in Vietnam, so parents and guardians send their children to school as soon as possible. From primary school to high school, kids in Vietnam spend a lot of their time studying. Math and English are often considered the two most important subjects in school. That is why it is common for families around Vietnam to bring their children to English language centers, math tutoring centers and private tutors to study in the evening a few times a week and on weekends.
Even though kids in Vietnam study a lot, they also have time to help their families, time for friends, for hobbies and to relax and play. Kids in Soc Trang, for example, like to play sports like badminton and football (soccer) and practice and develop skills in dancing and martial arts (like Taekwondo and traditional Vietnamese styles).
