A worthwhile trade-off for love

34, English teacher in Nanyang, Henan province

I decided to have a second child after being encouraged to do so by Zihang, my older son.

He often asked me why his classmates in kindergarten had a brother or sister but he didn’t. Bothmy husband and I are the only children in our families, so we could understand Zihang’s loneliness and need for company in childhood.

Although I know how hard it can be to raise a child during the first three years, we decided to have a second child and give Zihang new and different childhood memories.

Our second child was born in December. After that, I moved into a confinement service center, andmy older son lived with his grandparents.

During the first month there, he came to visit me several times. I could sense his excitement about having a sibling. He would keep asking where his brother was, and share his joy and pride with strangers in the hospital.

Meanwhile, I could also see him change day by day, although it is very subtle. There seems to be a growing sense of responsibility in him.

I chose to stay at the confinement service center because I needed a quiet environment to recover. There are many mothers having a second child, and the oldest is about 40.

The service costs about 20,000 yuan ($2,900), and our quality of life has also been affected because we had a second child. However, I feel fine about that, because it is a trade-off. As long as our children grow up happy and healthily, my husband and I will be happy. Zhu Mian spoke with Qi Xin.

Zhu Mian’s sons at home