One...

As an only child people will probably find it a little strange that I am writing this blog entry.  It must, however, be said that I do not fit the usual stereotype of a sibling-less one.  Thanks to a very well-rounded upbringing I definitely don’t come across as being an only child.  Enough trumpet blowing – back to the matter in hand.

In 1978 China introduced the one child policy.  Couples here may only have one child, in a bid to stem the ever growing population of this massive country.  As such, the vast majority of students in our school are only children, which can lead to a fair few problems.  With Mummy, Daddy and four doting grandparents showering their beloved little one with attention, money and gifts, they become accustomed to getting what they want and aren’t always the most considerate of individuals, often demanding their own way.  Sharing and working together can sometimes prove problematic, especially with the under 10’s, and with a 2 hour class once a week, I don’t feel that making an impact upon these children’s behaviour outside my classroom is a realistic expectation.

I say ‘the majority of students in our school are only children’ as there are some exceptions.  Parents are permitted to have a 2nd child if both parents are only children, the chances of which seem rare.  This is reasonable now, but what happens in 20 years from now when my current students want to start families?  The vast majority of them are only children, so surely the population will boom again, won’t it?  I’m sure the men in suits will think of a way of dealing with that, adapting the laws again to suit their needs.

And of course there are always the unexpected arrivals such as twins or triplets to add a bit of variety to the mix.  I was shocked to see identical twin girls in my colleagues' class a couple of weeks ago; as it turns out I was way off the mark, they were quadruplets, their two brothers sitting next to them!

I can only hope their parents get a grip of their little princes and princesses, or this generation of Chinese will be in for some large scale arguments in years to come…

A xx