When I go to bed and my wife stays in living room late into night, it's most often due to some of her mommy friends crying on WeChat over what the husband's mother or father did or didn't do.
Consider a common sight in these parts - a grandfather in the courtyard watching over their grandchild playing with other kids, maybe holding a smaller sibling himself, all the while chain smoking.
That's some wisdom to pass.
Bloody hell Jan, cheer up mate.
Been there, done that. I'm a parent now.
Give it a try yourself.
Got to agree with JanJal, as depressing as it is. Many of the current grandparent generation don't have a clue how to look after children. Apart from setting a bad example by smoking, spitting, and littering, some also often think it's fine to beat their grandchildren. One day my wife's father arrived home on his ebike minus his grandson. Said grandson had fallen off the back of the ebike somepoint on the way home. The grandson was found largely unharmed, but needless to say, Grandpa was relieved of childcare duties after that.
Not to mention how they let them do whatever they want.
I had to think about “relaxing the requirements" when I read these two posts in “classified”
Chinese Guy looking for a Foreign Women
jason2008
about 9 hours ago Classifieds > Personals > Man Seeking Woman
I am Local guy looking for a foreign women for a marrige,I do not drink nor smoke,well educated,I am looking for a women between 29 - 36 years old,no kids,if you want to live in Kunming and planning to settle down.If you interested,context me with email:jason_kmg@hotmail.com
And:
Looking for fun
jason2008
about 9 hours ago Classifieds > Personals > Man Seeking Man
Living in Kunming,Gay,39/5.67ft/150lbs,clean,versatile,easygoing,well educated.I am looking for casual fun. Hope you are easygoing,28-40years,If you're interested,please reply or email me :jason_kmg@hotmail.com or contact with wechat :kmgjason
Haha.
But the adverts from big hunky American dudes looking for no strings fun are much funnier.
WTF! That's crazy! Make up your mind dude!
On the topic of summer schools, I just ran into news article from my home country in northern Europe (you know one of the craddle to grave wellware states envied by much the rest of the world).
It was about the challenges of families (more often than in China one-parent families) to schedule the parent(s) summer vacations with that of their kids, and how that puts increasing demands for summer program staff.
What started originally with young adults running camps for younger kids, are now transitioning to camps run by educated professionals.
Notable difference to China is, that there (in most cases) it has nothing to do with making your kids more competitive in further education, but usually to provide stimulus for each child's individual development potential, whilst also keeping the kids safe and off screen when parents are away.
While the latter two may be shared motivations with Chinese society, individual development and thinking may not be.
Also spending summer learning things like cooking or building something may not be well received among Chinese middle class - those jobs are for lower class people here.
That's not to say that in western countries wealthier families wouldn't have more options too - for example sailing or language courses abroad.
