Family Ties

One of my favorite things about walking around in China are the super-cute, chubby babies everywhere you go. Families don't use babysitters or strollers, so babies are carried in their parents or grandparents arms all hours of the day and night. Small toddlers are allowed to waddle around in front of their parents and grandparents. It's nice that the kids recieve so much direct contact with adults, hearing their speech and being watched over. Of course, there is also the concern here that children are growing up very spoiled. All I see is the cuteness, though. 

Btw, the traditional family unit here is 1 child, 2 parents, and 2 grandparents. Both mothers and fathers are expected to work full time, and the grandparents spend all day with the child. So there is none of the 'work/life' balance concerns you read so much about (or experience first-hand) in the west. The parents work to support the family, the grandparents raise the child. And the cycle continues when the child grows up. 

This is why boys have been so valued in China. The parents traditionally live with their son; a daughter lives with her husband's family. I don't know what is happening now that this first generation of girl-only families are growing older. It will be interesting to see if the value of boys and girls evens out at some point. In large, urban, Westernized cities, it is becoming more common for the sons to help support their parents financially but live in a separate home. It's feasible girls could also have this arrangement.