1. Are Chinese families usually big or small?
In the past families in China were large, Mao Zedong encouraged the Chinese people to have more children as a military technique, also for developing agriculture and production. Women usually went to live with her husband’s family after getting married. No couple ever thought of living alone. Today, Chinese families are usually small, because they can only have one child. It can be bigger for instance, if one grandparent passes away, the other would move in and live with extended family. Chinese people often take the responsibility of caring for seniors.
2. In Chinese families, who usually makes the major decisions?
In the past, the eldest male in the family would make the major decisions. Young couples usually lived with and depended on the husband’s parents. Nowadays it is totally different. Most young couples move out to live on their own, and the decision process is shared. In my family my father makes many of the decisions because he is the main bread winner. For important matters, they usually discuss them together, but my mother eventually has the final say, because she’s more sophisticated and clever.
3. Do you think it is good for grandparents to help bring up their grandchildren?
No, I do not think it is good for grandparents to help raise their grandchildren. Grandparents often spoil kids, giving them too much unnecessary love and gifts. What’s more if children grow up with them, they don’t usually gain any useful knowledge. However, it’s undeniable that many children nowadays are raised by their grandparents. Many parents are very busy working long exhausting days, which makes them too tired to take care of feeble babies.
4. What can children learn from grandparents?
By spending time with grandparents, children have a better sense of who they are and where they've come from. They have roots, a history, and a sense of continuity. They develop a sense of pride and responsibility in carrying forward the legacy that has been passed to them. Through sharing in a grandparent's interests, skills, and hobbies; children are introduced to new activities and ideas. Grandparents can be very patient, effective teachers. Knowledge, skills, and attitudes children pick up from grandparents tend to stick with them through life more than those picked up from other sources.
