Social:Child's slave
Child's slave (Chinese: 孩奴 háinú) is a term used in China to describe parents, especially those born in the 1980s, who are under pressure when raising their children. The pressures can be in form of financial, physical, or mental pressure. The parents who are "child's slaves" lose their self-value and the purpose of life because they live and work only for their children. Also, their children are usually spoiled because of the indulgence of parents.[1]
Major Causes
High living cost
The main reason is the high cost of raising a child, which includes the cost of housing, food, education and transportation. It has been rising over the years. According to the gynecologist in China , it cost about 40 RMB only to give birth in 1980s, while it is over 4,000 RMB now.[2] However, even more money is spent on education of the child because of the fierce competition in China. The huge expenditure forces parents to become a "child's slave". Some married couples might even get child phobia because of it.
One-child policy
Parents in China can have only one child under one-child policy, which leads to excessive parental expectations. With parents putting all their hopes and dreams on the only child, the parents might over-protect them and materially over-provide them.[3]
Personal psychological factor
In Chinese traditional culture, family is considered as a center of society. This concept remains the same now and the child becomes the center of family. The parents who are "child's slaves" are mostly post-80s, who grew up in a special circumstance. As the first generation growing under single child policy, they had no siblings and were the center of family as well. Therefore, they are self-oriented and have difficulty of expressing their emotions. They use materials and money to show their love towards their children. This gives them a heavy burden and makes them become "child's slave" eventually.
Characteristics
- Most of them are young parents, born in the 80s
- Put their child as the only center of their life
- Under the great pressure of raising a child
- Spend most of the family income on child irrationally
- Put all their hopes and pay too much attention on child
- Spoil their child and avoid them from suffering
- Give up work and interpersonal activities in order to take care of their child
Effects
Effects on children
The child is usually well-taken care of, even spoiled, by his parents. Because the parents prepare every aspect of the child’s life, the child may have low self-care ability and be over-dependent on his parents. However, he gains sufficient supports, both financially and mentally, to focus on his own interests, which may lead to temporary success, but ultimately reduces his ability to face failure.
Additionally, since the child is spoiled by his parents, he takes parents' love for granted, and may even regard them as servants. This might affect the child’s personality by causing him to develop the so-called prince illness. Moreover, a lack of sense of responsibility slows down the mental maturity of children raised in this manner.
Effects on family
Since the child is the center of the family, the parents are willing to give up their own life goals in order to focus on the growth of the child. High expectation is imposed to the kid, and it might worsen the relationship between the child and parents due to the severe upbringing[4]
Effects on society
For the whole society, a generation of spoilt children does little contribution to social development. They are selfish and lazy, unwilling to work hard.
Aging society is another problem. If young couples refuse to give birth because of the fear of becoming "child's slaves", the labor force of society will be reduced.
Situation in China
"Child's slave" has become a common situation in modern China. Many young parents, especially those born in the 1980s, are called "child's slaves" to describe the heavy burden on them.
More than 80% of young parents feel great pressure under the burden of raising a child because of high expenses incurred as the child grows up. To ensure their child grow in a better environment, young parents are willing to spend most of their income on them. The common situation of buying expensive imported milk powder is a representation.[5] The average cost for raising up a child from birth to grade six is RMB 450,000, despite the extra spending like traveling or studying abroad.[6] In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the cost is even much higher.
Moreover, most of these young parents also have other "name-tags", including "mortgage's slave", "card's slave" and "car's slave",[7] which indicates how heavy their financial pressure are. It is because of the inflation in China and also their wills of providing a better living environment to their family and child. Apart from the financial pressure, "Child's slaves" sacrifice their own life for the child. Some of them give up personal career and shorten their leisure time to take care of the child, or some of them work day and night to earn money for their child.[8]
In popular culture
TV drama
- "Child's Slave"(Chinese: 孩奴) – By CCTV of China in 2012[9]
- “The Sweet Burden” (Chinese:小兒難養) – By Hunan TV World of China in 2013[10]
- “Baby” (Chinese: 寶貝) – By YOUHUG of China in 2013[11]
See also
- One-child policy
- Helicopter parent
- Parenting styles
References
- ↑ Xu, Anqi. ""孩奴"現象傳媒炒作的負效應和實證辯正". Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331151516/http://www.sociology2010.cass.cn/upload/2010/10/d20101027165416161.pdf. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ "養大一個孩子需要多少錢 80後懼怕當孩奴". http://finance.ifeng.com/money/wealth/story/20100112/1696054.shtml. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ "孩奴產生的最根本原因". http://bbs1.people.com.cn/postDetail.do?id=97438710. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ Wen, Yuen"Slave to Children, the Fate of Two Generations" (Chinese: 被"孩奴"套牢的兩代中國人), Society and Public Welfare (Chinese: 社會與公益), 2010, issue 02
- ↑ "孩奴現象空襲80後 專家呼籲撫育孩子要理性". http://npmpc.people.com.cn/GB/10784485.html. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ "China's grown-up 'child slaves'". http://travel.cnn.com/shanghai/none/chinas-child-slaves-974516. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ "Child's Slave (Chinese:孩奴)". http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/news/2010-02/20/content_9476337.htm. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ "Are we slaves to our children?". http://www.bjreview.com.cn/forum/txt/2010-02/21/content_247486.htm. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ "Introduction of drama "Child’s Slave"". http://dianshiju.cntv.cn/2013/08/27/VIDA1377585395995879.shtml#. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ "Drama "The Sweet Burden"". http://eladies.sina.com.cn/qg/xeny/. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ "Official Weibo Page of drama "Baby"". http://weibo.com/dsjbaobei. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
External links
- "Are you are Child's Slave?" Video (Chinese: 你是孩奴嗎?)
- http://news.cntv.cn/program/yexian/20110919/100072.shtml
- "Mocking from "child's slaves" : Children is luxury goods with continuously spending" Video (Chinese: "孩奴"吐糟：孩子是持續消費的奢侈品)
- http://www.chinanews.com/shipin/2013/01-16/news160144.shtml
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