One Child Policy: Friday May 25th

The evidence of the one child policy of China can be seen if you walk through a park. You’ll find mostly grandparents and their grandchildren.  This park had several children but in other places it is very difficult to find many children. Most places, the old out number the young by quite a lot. The media like commercials and TV shows always have one child in the family. You also notice how differently this child is being treated by his or her parents because he or she is the only one they can have.

The one child policy is easily noticed throughout China and it is interesting how this has effected how they treat their children compared to USA parents with many children. They are not spoiled like American children; but they are the center of their universe. Parents give them undivided attention all the time. They wear pretty dresses or cute trousers. They are constantly making their parents laugh. Sometimes they act more as toys than children. One difference that I find is that parents are rarely upset with their child and the parents are rarely stressed out. But you also see parents teaching very young kids to help them out with their shop. Parents and teachers are also stricter to their children, but mostly in private since they must keep face in public.

It is interesting how two very different concepts come together in China. On one hand, you are an only child that gets all the attention but you also grow up to learn that you are just one of several billion and must provide for that group. The balance seems to work.