Raising the Precious Single Child in Urban China-An Intergenerational Joint Mission Between Parents and Grandparents

Abstract This article is based on a pilot study conducted in Xiamen, an urban city in southern China. Its research goal was to understand how the grandparents and parents jointly raise a single grandchild in the multi-generational family context. This research attempts to address the following questions: What are the parents' concept of an ideal child? How do grandparents and parents work together in this alliance? Are their child rearing values and practices complementary or contradictory? What are some advantages and difficulties as perceived by the parents and grandparents? The researcher employed both focus groups and in-depth interviews to collect data from the parents and grandparents. The parents regard an ideal child as being smart, independent, happy and filial. Although the parents were able to articulate quite clearly the parenting goals, in practice they were playing a secondary role in caring for their children when compared with the grandparents. Both generations acknowledged the advantages of multi-generational co-residence but expressed much ambivalence, dilemma and contradiction regarding their collaboration. This study's findings are useful in raising questions for future research efforts. The effect of contradictory child rearing methods, the different needs of the respective generations and the impact of the future grandparents' financial independence on their willingness to provide regular child care are other possible issues for exploration.