‘Books and toys help build our son’s intelligence’
Print Edition
Picture books and toys are three-year-old Fang Chengxiao’s favorite things. Returning home from kindergarten, he always picks up some of his new treasures from piles of books and toys, and spends time looking them over and playing.
His mother Ni Kejia, a 29-year-old middle school teacher, buys dozens of new children’s books every one or two months online. Both parents often stop at toy stores to buy him interesting playthings.
Though the boy and his parents agree to buy only one toy per toy store trip, they do visit the store quite often. And when grandparents are in town, the agreement goes out the window.
“We encourage our son’s interest in books and toys as much as possible since they help develop the intelligence at this age,” said the boy’s father, Fang Guanghao, a 35-year-old bank manager. He considers education the best investment in his son’s future.
But since the boy often breaks toys, the parent’s don’t spend more than 100 yuan (US$16.47) on a new plaything.
“Since he’s curious about how it works, my son often tears toys into pieces. I don’t want to rob him of the curiosity but it would be a waste to buy expensive toys that won’t last,” said Fang. He remembers that his own favorite toy was a large remote-controlled car that his father purchased on an overseas trip.
“There were few toy cars on the Chinese market back then, let alone big, remote-controlled cars. And that car brought me a lot of attention among my friends,” he said. That gift and the way it drew others to him still influences Fang. “I am incapable of saying ‘no’ when my son wants some car toys,” he said.
The family has an annual income of 240,000-360,000 yuan and is now spending around 5,000 yuan on the boy every month.
The family generally spends around 4,000 yuan a year on the boy’s books, toys and milk powder. The family spends 1,500 yuan on an ayi to take care of the boy during the day while both parents work.
The cost of public kindergarten is 1,500 yuan a month, plus the yearly “sponsorship” fee of 10,000 yuan. Those costs are pretty standard for well-off families with children of Fang’s age.
The family also spends 8,000 yuan each year on comprehensive groups to explore the boys’ potential talents. Classes like dancing, singing, language and painting are provided by turns, so that the children can get in touch with all kinds before selecting one or two of their favorite.
“I consider most of the spending on my son an investment in education in general, and it’s all necessary,” Fang said.
Most of the boy’s clothes are given by relatives and friends. The family doesn’t do much clothes shopping.
Before the boy entered kindergarten in 2012, the family only spend around 2,500 yuan a month on him.
“Education will certainly takes an increasing proportion of expenses for the boy as he grows up, and we are ready for it,” his father said.
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