With summer vacation approaching, many families are eagerly looking forward to spending their long vacations together. However, many parents worry about encountering people who roll their eyes at them for bringing their children along, which can cast a shadow over an otherwise joyful break.

According to the Ministry of Interior, Taiwan welcomed only 134,800 newborns in 2024, placing the country second to last in global birth rate rankings. In a society with increasingly fewer children, some are not only not cherished, but also caught in a polarized environment where attitudes toward them differ sharply. In many restaurants, the “No children allowed” signs are now a common sight in restaurants, and children’s crying or tantrums in public spaces increasingly stir up online debates. Does Taiwan really dislike children?

Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) issues the 2025 Report on Public Attitudes Toward Children and Families [1] to better understand how people feel about this issue. According to the report, nearly 40% (39.5%) of respondents do not have a negative attitude toward children, while only 16.1% reported having an extreme aversion to children. The majority of people do not dislike children; their discomfort stems more from disruptive behaviors such as tantrums than from the presence of children themselves. Among the respondents, 54.9% said they would first observe how parents react when a child has a tantrum, and only 10% said they would intervene directly. Most people who express aversion toward children say they simply want to rest. These respondents consider certain settings, such as fine-dining restaurants (38.9%) and long-distance transportation (22.6%) unsuitable for children. Also, People who have limited interaction with children are more likely to feel exhausted by them, while those with more experience around children tend to be more tolerant of their noise. Countries such as South Korea and France have also adopted the “No children allowed” policies in some settings, but they approach the issue in different ways. By examining global examples, we hope to reinforce the idea that understanding and support are essential to building a warm society. This is why we’ve launched the “Child-Rearing Politeness Movement,” inviting parenting expert Bao-Hong Lo (羅寶鴻) to share 8 steps for soothing children. Our goal is to provide parents with practical tips for handling challenges when going out. At the same time, we promote the “Two Nos, Two Yeses” principle: No eye-rolling, no scolding; yes to offering help, yes to embracing families with kindness. We hope that through compassion and inclusiveness, Taiwan can become a more child-friendly environment.

How negative are Taiwanese’s attitudes toward children? Based on CWLF’s report, on a scale from 0 to 8, 39.5% of respondents gave a score of 0 [2], indicating that they are friendly toward children and supportive of families with child-rearing needs. Another 44.4% scored between 1 and 3, showing a mild sense of aversion. Only 16.1% of respondents gave a score above 4, suggesting a stronger degree of negativity toward children. 

According to CWLF’s report, 39.6% of respondents feel annoyed by children’s crying and tantrums. Additionally, 36% believe that if parents or caretakers cannot manage their children’s behavior, they should refrain from taking them out in public. However, only 13.6% of respondents are unwilling to maintain close contact with children, and just 12.8% say they feel uneasy around them. These results suggest that people’s dissatisfaction is mostly about the noise rather than children themselves. Moreover, only 9.9% of respondents have admitted to criticizing crying children and their parents on social media, while 22.1% of respondents consider such criticism acceptable. These results show that though aversion to children has become a trending topic, the findings indicate that most people do not truly dislike children, nor do they overreact in these situations.

[1] This survey was conducted from December 25^th to February 4^th, 2025, using an online questionnaire targeting regular participants. A total of 2,259 people responded, and the data were weighted according to the gender demographics reported by the Ministry of the Interior in January 2025, with 2,247 valid responses. Among the valid samples, 49.3% were male, with most respondents aged between 30-39 (35.2%) and 40-49 (33.2%). Regarding the regions where respondents lived, 74.8% of respondents resided in the 6 special municipalities. The majority were from New Taipei City (19.8%), Taoyuan City (13.2%) and Taipei City (12.5%). Additionally, 61.6% of respondents had children. Among them, 45.7% of respondents had 1 child, 43.3% had 2 children, 11.1% had more than 3 children.

[2] This survey included 8 questions designed to measure different degrees of a version to children. Responses of "strongly agree" and "agree" were scored as 1, while "disagree" and "strongly disagree" were scored as 0. The total score was summed to represent the level of aversion to children, ranging from 0 to 8.

When children cry or throw tantrums in public, people’s thoughts, emotions and reactions can vary widely. CWLF’s findings show that in such situations, 57.6% of respondents would first be concerned about what might have happened to the child, while 38.4% would check to see whether the parents need any help. These responses reflect the compassionate side of society. On the other hand, 29.4% of respondents said they wished parents would immediately stop the crying and tantrums, and 11.6% expressed frustration over having their rest disturbed. Additionally, 8.7% stated that such experiences reinforce their desire to remain child-free, and 4.5% said they thought pets behave better than children. These results reveal that a portion of the public has low tolerance for children’s behavior in public spaces and may hold negative perceptions toward them.

In terms of actual behavior, respondents’ reactions can be categorized into two types: passive and active responses. Among those with passive responses, 54.9% said they would first observe how parents handle the situation, 36% would choose to leave the scene, and 25% would take no action at all. These findings suggest that although many people feel frustrated by the noise, they tend to avoid direct confrontation. In contrast, around 10% of respondents said they would take active steps, such as asking staff to intervene (13.8%), speaking to the parents directly (10%), or expressing annoyance through eye-rolling or audible sighs of dissatisfaction (5.5%). Additionally, 10% reported that they would record the incident and post the video on social media to publicly criticize the parents and children as a way of venting their dissatisfaction.

Additionally, CWLF’s report further explores which locations the public believes should restrict children’s access. The top three locations identified were fine-dining restaurants (38.9%), long distance transportation (22.6%) and cafes (14.8%). In contrast, only 10% of respondents expressed a preference for restricting children from regular restaurants and short-distance transportation.

It is worth noting that 47.3% of respondents agree that children should be allowed to enter these locations without restrictions. These results suggest that feelings of aversion to children may not be directed at children themselves, but rather at the noisy environments they are often associated with. Many people simply wish for quiet spaces where they can relax. While dining at fine-dining restaurants and visiting cafes is a matter of personal choice, riding long-distance transportation is often a necessity; for example, when families need to return to their hometowns or travel for essential reasons. CWLF are concerned about 22.6% of respondents expressed unfriendly attitudes toward these families, which may create mental pressure that discourages parents from leaving the house. Such attitudes risk socially isolating families with young children, limiting opportunities for children to socialize and engage with the broader community.

As Taiwan’s birth rate continue to decline, the number of newborns in 2024 did not rebound despite it being the Year of Dragon. The birth rate has dropped for 9 consecutive years, placing Taiwan second to last globally. At the same time, the public’s level of interactions with children has also decreased. According to CWLF’s report, nearly half of the respondents (46%) reported interacting with children no more than two days per week, while 25.2% said they had no experience interacting with children at all.

South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world. In recent years, a growing number of restaurants, cafes, and other venues have established “No Kids Zones,”sparking public debate. In 2023, some legislators proposed banning the creation of such zones in public spaces, but legislative progress has been limited. Currently, only non-binding guidelines exist in places like Jeju Island. Although the government has launched campaigns encouraging businesses to welcome children, the intention to shift public attitudes remains a significant challenge. In contrast, the French government has taken a more assertive stance by introducing legislation to ban restaurants and hotels from restricting children’s entry. Some officials have gone further, emphasizing that “children are not a burden” and calling for recognition of children’s right to “make some noise.” France’s Minister for Children and Families has publicly criticized child bans as divisive, arguing that they harm social cohesion. These ideas closely align with CWLF’s belief in a child-rearing friendly society and show that many countries are beginning to reassess their attitudes toward children. In truth, aversion to children often stems not from the children themselves, but from the surrounding environment and prevailing parenting norms. By raising public awareness and offering more support to parents, Taiwan can move toward a more family-friendly culture.

CWLF believes that if even adults sometimes lose control of their emotions, it is only natural that children, who are still learning and developing, may struggle even more. Many parents feel overwhelmed by the challenges of parenting. Even when they try their best to comfort their kids, crying in public is unavoidable. To foster a more child-friendly and compassionate society, CWLF launched the “Child Rearing Politeness Movement” to encourage mutual understanding and inclusion toward families with caregiving responsibilities.

From the perspectives of parents, CWLF and child-rearing expert Bao-Hong Lo (羅寶鴻) to produce a video introducing the“8 Steps to Soothe Children.” These steps include: stay calm, check for needs, redirect attention, soothe physically, name their emotions, set boundaries, leave the scene, and follow up with communication. These steps are designed to help parents respond more effectively to their children’s emotional needs. For the general public, CWLF promotes the “Two Nos, Two Yeses” principle: No eye-rolling, no scolding; yes to offering help, yes to embracing families with kindness. Recognizing that people have different levels of comfort with children’s crying and tantrums, CWLF also offers a self-assessment quiz（https://reurl.cc/zqVdZk）to help individuals better understand their own responses and how they can interact with children more empathetically.