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Q: How common is it for Chinese children to be fostered with their grandparents?
I've heard of a few cases, it it really common?
ED: I should also ask, what reasons have you heard given?
12 years 9 weeks ago in Family & Kids - China
I have had students tell me they actually live with their grandparents because their parents are "too busy." Messed up priorities or what?
GuilinRaf:
I would go with the "or what". Oftentimes it is not a matter of choice or ambition but simple survival. Having to work away from their kids just to keep the family fed. Really sad.
MissA:
The reason I posted this was speaking with a friend who told me that once her child is a bit older it will go to the gradparental village, since the village is much healthier than our city. In this case, the child's best interests were being carefully considered.
I seen a Chinese tv show about it, all these children hardly get to see their parents because they work in other provinces and they themselves live in the countryside with their grandparents.
Then they had one of the parents in the audience and it got emotional not a dry eye left in the house.
Very common as far as I can tell. Most people I've talked with said they were raised by their grandparents, and they expect that their own parents will do the lion's share of raising their own children. Some for the reason of too busy with work, and other's for the reason of just not wanting to give up their "normal life".
A few cases?? It's the NORM around here. And none of them have their parents working far away in another province. Most of them just don't want to do what it takes to bring up their children. And they are not expected to because they, themselves, are regarded as children by their own parents, with whom they live. I had a hard time in the beginning because NOBODY would get why I wanted to take care of my own child, and thought I was unable to.
Agree with cooter, for some the reason is not wanting to give up their normal life. I see that a lot, unfortunately.
Ironically, the only girl who's taking care of her own children is an immigrant from Anhui, she didn't send the kids back to the village. Her husband is working (and I assume he works a lot to support the family) and she stays at home with her two girls. I admire her.
