People & Culture
China’s elderly want to enjoy their golden years, not raise next generation unless paid for it
- For many younger couples in China, it is a cultural expectation that grandparents help raise their children
- But that social obligation may be changing, as a generation of retirees looks to enjoy their lives child-free
While grandparents worldwide often enjoy the retired life – pursuing hobbies, travelling the world and occasionally visiting their children and grandchildren – retirees in China are often stuck at home, tasked with taking care of the little ones while their sons and daughters go to work.For Chen Shuxiang and her husband Guan Hongsheng, who are in their late-60s with a 10-year-old grandson, they leave the bulk of the caregiving responsibilities to the child’s parents, despite living in the same city in Fuzhou in southeastern China’s Fujian province.
Their rejection of becoming primary carers stand out as it is so uncommon in China, but also because they may be pioneers of an impending social shift.
“We are happy with our life,” said the couple, who enjoy spending time editing videos, taking photos and travelling across China and the world.
They are still involved in their grandchild’s life – cooking meals and occasionally picking him up from school – but they are not primary carers.
Grandparents remain a major, and usually free, caregiving option for Chinese parents, who often move far away from home to pursue higher salaries or work long hours to support their family financially.
But a growing number of seniors like Guan and Chen are either asking to be occasional helping hands or are demanding payment for full-time work.
Earlier this month, a court in Jinan, in Shandong province in eastern China, ruled that a couple owed the husband’s father 20,000 yuan (US$3,000) because he had cared for one of their two children for years, the Shandong Business Daily reported.
The husband let his eldest child live with the grandfather and vowed to pay him 300 yuan (US$45) a month, but he failed to fulfil the promise, the court heard.
https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/ar...obox=1653273860
