Intergenerational Conflicts and Transmission of Values in Raising 0–2-Year-Old Chinese Babies

Experiences of intergenerational co‐parenting during the postpartum period in modern China: A qualitative exploratory study

“…Similar to previous studies, a supportive grandmother may be able to mediate or enhance the co‐parenting relationship between the couples and establish an intergenerational co‐parenting alliance among the three parties (Chen & Lewis, 2015; Xiao et al, 2020). However, a grandmother who is ‘over‐immersed’ in caring for the child, over‐protective of her own son or daughter, or whose childcare practices differ from the expectations of the young couple may further interfere in the co‐parenting relationship between the couple (Pan et al, 2017; Poblete & Gee, 2018; Siu et al, 2012). This could provoke intergenerational conflicts between the young parents and the grandmother of the kind more commonly seen between a young parent with his/her in‐laws (Pan et al, 2017; Wang et al, 2017).…”

“…However, a grandmother who is ‘over‐immersed’ in caring for the child, over‐protective of her own son or daughter, or whose childcare practices differ from the expectations of the young couple may further interfere in the co‐parenting relationship between the couple (Pan et al, 2017; Poblete & Gee, 2018; Siu et al, 2012). This could provoke intergenerational conflicts between the young parents and the grandmother of the kind more commonly seen between a young parent with his/her in‐laws (Pan et al, 2017; Wang et al, 2017).…”

“…Influenced by the Chinese tradition of ‘doing the month’, women are expected to rest at home and be cared for by their mother or mother‐in‐law during the postpartum period (Gao et al, 2009). Motivated by a sense of obligation towards family members that is a strong feature of the Chinese culture (Chen, 2009), most grandparents are both expected to and willing to take care of their newborn grandchild and the new mother after childbirth (Pan et al, 2017; Xiao et al, 2020). However, in this endeavour, grandmothers tend to draw upon their previous postpartum and baby care experiences (Mrayan et al, 2016), which may lead to pressure on young parents (Mrayan et al, 2016).…”

“…The younger generation may find themselves trapped in conflicting practices between traditional and modern approaches to childcare (Siu et al, 2012; Tang et al, 2016). As such, intergenerational co‐parenting in postpartum care may create conflicts in families (Barnett et al, 2012; Pan et al, 2017). A cross‐sectional study conducted in Shenzhen, China reported that women who lived with their mother‐in‐law were at a higher risk of falling into postpartum depression than those who did not (Wang et al, 2017).…”

The experiences of early postpartum Shenzhen mothers and their need for home visit services: a qualitative exploratory study

“…Both first-time and second-time mothers expressed the hope that their husband and extended family members could be better equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for postpartum and baby care [33, 34]. It was suggested that if mothers and grandmothers agreed on childcare practices, this would facilitate the transition of postpartum women into motherhood and ease the stress felt by postpartum women [33, 35].…”