‘I don’t feel that my parents love me less, but more’

13, a seventh grader from Qian’an county, Jilin province

At first I didn’t agree with the idea thatmymomwanted another child. I felt like she might love me less if we had another child in the family. However, my parents persuaded me, and I eventually agreed.

My young brother is now 6 months old, and he’s really adorable. I really like him whenever I see him, and I babysit him formy mom. I don’t feel thatmy parents love me less, but more. I also feel as thoughmy status in the family is actually higher.

There are also many fun things in life. I can teasemy little brother. I eat snacks sitting next to him, and he is always anxious and drooling that sometimes he even cries. Then, I sweet-talk him so he calms down, before I begin teasing him again by starting to eat again. I find this quite fun.

There have indeed been changes inmy family. My father is now a stay-at-home dad. My parents look after my brother at home in the suburbs, while I go to middle school in the town. My school is far from home, so my grandparents look after me in the town. I go back to the countryside withmy grandparents during the summer and winter holidays.

When I get to our house in the countryside, it’s usually quite lively, and almost everything is aboutmy brother. The house is often a mess because his stuff is everywhere.

Most of the time he is okay— he goes to sleep after he has been fed and he plays when he wakes. However, he does occasionally cry out for no reason, which is annoying. Well, I’mnot at home often, so I guess I’mlucky.

There has been no change regarding pocket money, becausemy mother still gives me cash.

My relatives have shifted some of their attention to my brother, but I’mhappy about that because I don’t like too much attention. SongWeiya spoke with Han Junhong.

Song Weiya and her brother