Zhang Guofeng and his wife pose with their grandchildren during a recent trip to the US. Photo: Courtesy of Zhang Guofeng
Chicago didn't exactly leave a good impression on Liu Shunhe, a retired cleaning lady from South China's Guangdong Province. Her stay in the windy city boiled down to two annoying things: Outside there was the cold, wet snow while inside there were the constant demands of her "Little Emperor" grandson.
She started to envision her return ticket home to China as her parole certificate.
Liu, 60, was invited by her daughter for visit to the US to help raise her 6-year-old grandson. Of course she did it out of love and was happy to oblige, but the reality of life in the unfamiliar sprawling North American suburb ended up feeling like a prison.
"I felt like I had been 'kidnapped' to a foreign country. Of course I loved helping look after my grandson, it's a Chinese tradition, but I didn't have a life of my own there," she told the Global Times.
No time for parenting
An increasing number of elderly Chinese are being asked to travel abroad to become full-time caregivers of their grandchildren as their own children pursue hectic careers that leave them with little time for parenting.
With the US economy in a downturn the family's working adults are now busier than ever and pinching pennies wherever they can. For many, cutting childcare costs can save thousands of dollars a month.
There are some 1.27 million Chinese students studying in foreign universities around the world, according to the Ministry of Education. More than 128,000 Chinese students studied in the US in 2010.
While a foreign education is considered a great start to a career, the ultimate goal and major status symbol back home is finding a way to share more of the American dream. After landing a job, many foreign students marry, become homeowners and begin raising families.
The decade-long trend has created a huge need for a helping hand from grandparents, who traditionally play an important role in rearing the next generation.
In Shanghai, figures from 2005 show that more than 10,000 retired grandparents fly overseas not just for a visit but to become essential caregivers of their grandchildren. Sun Pengbiao, general secretary of the Gerontological Society of Shanghai, believes the trend is on the rise.
"The number of grandparents babysitting overseas grandchildren has been increasing for years," Sun told the Global Times. "The economic downturn has been a big factor. Many young parents would rather ask their parents to come to a foreign country rather than hire a local nanny."
For many grandparents, traveling abroad brings a mix of emotions. It's often the first time they've seen their foreign-born grandchildren and for many it's their first trip abroad. The novelty, however, soon wears off.
"Most grandparents don't want to stay for a long time in a foreign country because of language and cultural barriers. They don't feel at home," said Sun.