Related News
Single kids face lonely summer
By Wang Jie |
July 10, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SCHOOL'S out, it's summer vacation and time for kids to have fun, right? Not so fast. Many kids from one-child families are lonely and lack playmates and their busy parents are torn. Wang Jie reports.
Finding summertime playmates for children has become a headache for many Chinese parents because there are few children with time for playmates - many go to educational summer camps or take special training courses to give them an academic edge.
But there isn't an easygoing public summer program where kids can play, sing, dance, draw, practice a little English and just have fun. The education department doesn't provide it; families are on their own.
Since China launched its one-child family planning policy in 1979, the number of children with siblings has steadily declined, so today there are virtually no urban kids with brothers and sisters to play with.
Parents are at their wits' end.
At the website babytree.com, Shanghai mothers have launched an online community to find playmates for their kids from across the city. Mothers of more than 90 children have joined the hunt.
"When summer or winter vacation comes, I am like an ant on a hotplate," says Li Siwen, who has a 12-year-old daughter. "My husband and I are both white-collar workers. If I leave my daughter at home, then she would just watch television and use the computer."
Lacking siblings, Chinese children rely more on TV and electronic products to while away the time.
So Li decided to send her daughter to daily summer school where she studies Chinese, English and math.
"It is better to obtain some knowledge during the summer than be idel at home," Li says. "Chinese parents are always pragmatic."
That's one reason for all the private summer schools in town, since they provide a small community for kids. Many also provide varied classes and activities, including tennis, swimming and I-go (Chinese chess), as well as Chinese, English and math. But the expense of these summer schools has risen sharply in recent years, for example, a two-week course of I-go may cost several thousand yuan.
"This is not only a financial burden on parents but an emotional burden on the whole family," says Feng Yuqi, a retired worker. "I have to shuttle my granddaughter to school everyday. Just imagine the temperature in Shanghai in scorching summer. I can call a cab, but they're hard to find when the temperature is above 35 degrees. And there's the cost."
For some parents, it is very distressing to hear that some children are studying and learning during summer vacation, while their children are not.
"As far as I know, nearly all my son's classmates are attending different classes. You know, in China, it is better to follow the crowd," said Li, mother of a 12-year-old girl. "But I think the government should provide some not-for-profit summer schools in some residential communities where kids can gather for study or play."
"I look back and miss the summer vacations from my childhood," says Rebecca Wei, a 42-year-old bank manager. "My brother and I would play with other kids in an old lane. We climbed a tree, picked fruit in the garden and played hide-and-seek. The day usually ended with a popsicle when we were all sweaty. I feel much more fortunate than today's kids."
Many children are eager to socialize with their peers, especially in their early teens. They tend to be indifferent to their parents and grandparents.
"My parents promised to take me to America for this summer vacation, but I am not that excited," says Duan Qiaohui, a 14-year-old middle school girl. "I'm not that interested in traveling with my parents. I especially hate the feeling that they treat these trips as a reward or incentive for me."
"Frankly, I don't want to share my inner thoughts with them, since they see the world differently from me. In their eyes, test scores are everything. But I don't have the ambition to struggle to get into the so-called elite class. It would be better to travel with my best friend in a neighboring city for three days than go to America with my parents for half a month."
Psychologist Feng Yalan says parents should try their best to find playmates for their children. "This will benefit them in the future and help them in sharing and getting along with others," she says.
"I haven't registered my son in any classes this summer. I and other mothers in our residential area will open a family class," says Wang Rong, who has a primary school child. Each mother will take a one-week's leave to take care of four children. Activities will include field trips, such as going to museums, as well as practicing spoken English.
"This is convenient and inexpensive and all these kids were born in the same year so they have been playments in the garden of residential complex for a long time."
Calls are getting intense for communities to organize groups for children in summer or for parents to start groups themselves.
"The district government might consider arranging summer classes for kids of different age groups," says Wang Jun, a 38-year-old consultant, "When I was a little girl, my parents sent me to a class where I sang, played and drew pictures with kids in the neighborhood. But obviously such classes no longer exists. I hope our government will become aware of lonely Chinese kids during every vacation period."
Finding summertime playmates for children has become a headache for many Chinese parents because there are few children with time for playmates - many go to educational summer camps or take special training courses to give them an academic edge.
But there isn't an easygoing public summer program where kids can play, sing, dance, draw, practice a little English and just have fun. The education department doesn't provide it; families are on their own.
Since China launched its one-child family planning policy in 1979, the number of children with siblings has steadily declined, so today there are virtually no urban kids with brothers and sisters to play with.
Parents are at their wits' end.
At the website babytree.com, Shanghai mothers have launched an online community to find playmates for their kids from across the city. Mothers of more than 90 children have joined the hunt.
"When summer or winter vacation comes, I am like an ant on a hotplate," says Li Siwen, who has a 12-year-old daughter. "My husband and I are both white-collar workers. If I leave my daughter at home, then she would just watch television and use the computer."
Lacking siblings, Chinese children rely more on TV and electronic products to while away the time.
So Li decided to send her daughter to daily summer school where she studies Chinese, English and math.
"It is better to obtain some knowledge during the summer than be idel at home," Li says. "Chinese parents are always pragmatic."
That's one reason for all the private summer schools in town, since they provide a small community for kids. Many also provide varied classes and activities, including tennis, swimming and I-go (Chinese chess), as well as Chinese, English and math. But the expense of these summer schools has risen sharply in recent years, for example, a two-week course of I-go may cost several thousand yuan.
"This is not only a financial burden on parents but an emotional burden on the whole family," says Feng Yuqi, a retired worker. "I have to shuttle my granddaughter to school everyday. Just imagine the temperature in Shanghai in scorching summer. I can call a cab, but they're hard to find when the temperature is above 35 degrees. And there's the cost."
For some parents, it is very distressing to hear that some children are studying and learning during summer vacation, while their children are not.
"As far as I know, nearly all my son's classmates are attending different classes. You know, in China, it is better to follow the crowd," said Li, mother of a 12-year-old girl. "But I think the government should provide some not-for-profit summer schools in some residential communities where kids can gather for study or play."
"I look back and miss the summer vacations from my childhood," says Rebecca Wei, a 42-year-old bank manager. "My brother and I would play with other kids in an old lane. We climbed a tree, picked fruit in the garden and played hide-and-seek. The day usually ended with a popsicle when we were all sweaty. I feel much more fortunate than today's kids."
Many children are eager to socialize with their peers, especially in their early teens. They tend to be indifferent to their parents and grandparents.
"My parents promised to take me to America for this summer vacation, but I am not that excited," says Duan Qiaohui, a 14-year-old middle school girl. "I'm not that interested in traveling with my parents. I especially hate the feeling that they treat these trips as a reward or incentive for me."
"Frankly, I don't want to share my inner thoughts with them, since they see the world differently from me. In their eyes, test scores are everything. But I don't have the ambition to struggle to get into the so-called elite class. It would be better to travel with my best friend in a neighboring city for three days than go to America with my parents for half a month."
Psychologist Feng Yalan says parents should try their best to find playmates for their children. "This will benefit them in the future and help them in sharing and getting along with others," she says.
"I haven't registered my son in any classes this summer. I and other mothers in our residential area will open a family class," says Wang Rong, who has a primary school child. Each mother will take a one-week's leave to take care of four children. Activities will include field trips, such as going to museums, as well as practicing spoken English.
"This is convenient and inexpensive and all these kids were born in the same year so they have been playments in the garden of residential complex for a long time."
Calls are getting intense for communities to organize groups for children in summer or for parents to start groups themselves.
"The district government might consider arranging summer classes for kids of different age groups," says Wang Jun, a 38-year-old consultant, "When I was a little girl, my parents sent me to a class where I sang, played and drew pictures with kids in the neighborhood. But obviously such classes no longer exists. I hope our government will become aware of lonely Chinese kids during every vacation period."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
