Comment
Life is not easy for Chinese dads
By Bai Ping (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-27 09:56
Joe Wong, the Chinese American amateur comedian who made his TV network debut on CBS in April, thrilled the audience with his dry Chinese humor.
When he poked fun at his family life, he said: "Now I have a sign in my car that says 'Baby On board.' This sign is basically a threat. It just says that I have a screaming baby and a nagging wife and that I am not afraid of dying anymore."
I believe many Chinese dads would also laugh if they heard his joke about the hardship that working men face in parenting. It was so funny and yet so true.
Perhaps there are indeed some uncaring and unappreciative husbands in China. But when people think of parenting here, they cannot help but feel pity for those poor local dads. The sleepless nights and lack of sex after childbirth are probably the least of their worries.
Anxiety and stress start from the moment their wife becomes pregnant. Trying best to adapt to their wife's physical and emotional changes is relatively easy, compared with the fight for a bed in a good hospital and an experienced doctor.
Because there are more patients than beds available and good doctors are difficult to book, local dads need to use their connections to acquire the scarce services.
In addition, hospital staff may expect bribes from you. The suggested bribery prices for hospitals in different cities are publicized on the Internet. For a delivery it ranges from 500-1,000 yuan to each doctor involved in the procedure.
In the meanwhile, dads need to hold on to their full-time job to pay for all the extra family costs and mortgage loans. If you're not already feeling defeated and humbled by life, try to think about the education rat race for Chinese children and how competitive their lives will be.
Although wives might also go to work, it's likely they'll be increasingly focused on parenting after childbirth. And many Chinese wives expect their husbands to be successful in their careers as they compete with neighbors and friends in terms of bigger houses and nicer cars.
So do you still believe it's easy to be a working Chinese husband with a screaming baby and a nagging wife? Think again.
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