In China, it is taken for granted that everyone should marry, and every family should have children. Traditionally, children symbolize fortune and happiness for a family. A large population was viewed as an asset for a nation. Not surprisingly, China's population reached more than a billion in the early 1980s, according to the 1982 census report.
Since 1979, the birth control policy of one child per family has been in place. At the national level, the birth rate has been reduced to about 1.7 percent from 1979 to 1995, as compared with 3.4 percent in the early 1970s. At the level of the individual family, the one-child policy has brought changes and challenges to families and parents.
The advantage of having just one child in a family is that parents can focus on raising the only child they have. Nowadays, it is common for both parents to have full-time jobs. In a family that has two or more children, parents often juggle their time around to fit the schedules of their kids. It's much easier for parents to work out schedules for one child and spend more time with the child. With the ever rising living expenses and college tuition, parents who have only one child do not feel the economic pressure as much as those who have more than one child. The only child usually gets more attention and financial resources in the family.
However, it is right here that the problem arises. As most "only children" are cuddled and coddled, they are often spoiled as "little emperors". Unlike their parents who used to contribute financially to their families' well-being and were self-reliant, they don't have direct experience with the struggle of life. Because the "only children" do not have any siblings, they have to learn how to share joy and sorrow with others, and cultivate a sense of responsibility and commitment to their families.
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