Fourth-graders from one of East China’s Qingdao City elementary schools formed an “anti-sibling alliance” to convince their parents not to have a second child. (Photo : YouTube)
Some fourth-graders from one of East China’s Qingdao City elementary schools formed an “anti-sibling alliance” as a move to convince their parents not to have a second child.
One teacher, surnamed Wang, found eight students holding secretive meetings to discuss the matter. Her students feared any siblings would take away their parents' exclusive love.
The story spread on the Internet and WeChat, a popular mobile social media platform in China, triggering a feisty discussion about China's decision to abandon its conventional one-child policy on Jan. 1, according to China Daily. Most Netizens pointed out that children born after 2000 are selfish, since even those who agree to have a sibling mostly turn grumpy after a second child is born, while others blamed the problem on education.
Through an online comment, Wang Donghui said that her fellow parents should stop teasing their misbehaving children about getting a second child as a punishment.
Donghui wrote via Women of China: "If you stop joking about how having a second child is a bad thing for them and teach them about the fun of having siblings as companions, they would be happy to accept the idea."
The change in China's policy is meant to help control the population growth rate and address problems of an aging citizenry, as stated in a communiqué released after the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee in Oct. 2015.
Most parents cannot wait to take advantage of the policy. Besides fearing the opposition from their children, such parents are wary about meeting fiscal needs for a second child in terms of housing and education.
A 33-year-old mother, Zhang Xiaohui from Qingdao asserted that the cost of formula and post-school education programs would be too high.
Xiaohui said: "For a working class family, one child is OK, but raising two is a different story and my husband and I decided to give up at last."
On the contrary, many grandparents are enthusiastic about the policy and would be happy to support their children having a second baby.
