Though most Singaporeans think it is vital for parents to tell their children they are proud of them, less than half say they have heard such a sentiment from their own parents.

Those were the findings of a recent survey by MindChamps PreSchool, a major operator of pre-schools here. Thus, it is hoping to get more parents to affirm their children with its inaugural "I'm Proud of You" Day - a two-day family festival organised in collaboration with The Straits Times to mark Children's Day.

The survey polled 306 respondents, the majority of whom were aged between 15 and 60. It found that while 75.8 per cent of respondents felt that the phrase "I'm proud of you" would carry significant impact if they heard it from their parents, only 45.8 per cent have been told that by their parents.

"To a young child, not knowing that their parents are proud of them could equate to they don't love them. This is a gap in many families, and the I'm Proud of You movement is to fill this gap," said MindChamps founder, chairman and chief executive David Chiem.

The festival will be held from Oct 7 to 8 at Max Atria Gallery and Hall 1 at Singapore Expo, from 10am to 9pm. Activities range from pony rides and family soccer matches to an inflatable obstacle course and meet-and-greet sessions with mascots from Korean animated TV series Pororo. There will also be parenting talks and workshops by ST journalists, ONE FM 91.3 radio deejay Shan Wee and teaching specialist Debra Ann Francisco.

Tickets are priced at $48 per child and $38 per adult for one-day access, and are available at www.iamproudofyou.com. ST readers get a 30 per cent discount by using the promotional code "ST30".