China Kindergarten Problem
A rookie father’s agony over kindergarten choice
Raising kids is among the most challenging undertaking in the world; China is no exception.
When my wife was about to give birth, a recurrent thought in my mind was whether I could cope with the stress of caring for a baby. I felt no joy of becoming a father even after my baby girl was born. Not to mention the near-collapse experience when facing an inconsolable baby in the small hours. It was not until two months into my baby girl’s life that I began to feel the joy of being a father and the bond with her started to form.
Luckily the government did lend a hand in easing the financial burden on new parents. Ninety-eight days paid maternity leave is enshrined in law, and an extension is automatically granted if medical complications or multiple births occurred. Forward-thinking Guangdong provincial government in southern China extended the paid maternity leave to 178 days. Meanwhile, paid paternity leave still stand at 15 days, which might partly explain the conspicuous absence of fathers in children’s care.
The cost of giving birth in China is relatively low and mostly covered by mandatory social insurance. The bill for my girl’s birth is no more than four thousand yuan(around US$ 600) of which I paid a tiny fraction, and my wife maternity…
