Wealthy China couples pay top dollar for ‘professionals’ to fulfil their parental duties

• Affluent, career-focused mums and dads in China are employing well-educated 'child companions' to bring up their kids

Young upwardly mobile couples in China are hiring "professional parents" known as child companions, who focus on their children's mental health as well as their academic abilities and daily needs.

A psychology PhD student, who has interviewed hundreds of child companions, wrote on Xiaohongshu that most applicants are graduates of prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Cambridge, Tsinghua, and Peking University.

They hold master's degrees or higher, are fluent in multiple languages, and are skilled at sport as well as often having expert knowledge of child psychology.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Unlike the work of tutors and nannies, these companions involve themselves deeply in the children's daily lives and their feelings.

Their duties include taking children to the doctor, tutoring homework, travelling with them and managing their emotional needs, which are traditionally parental responsibilities.

The working hours vary by family and the work includes both on-site and live-in services.

Song Siyu, a child companion from Chongqing in southwest China, said her working hours are from 5.30pm to 8.30pm on weekdays, during which she helps the child with homework and takes them to play football, fencing, or swimming.

The typical monthly salary ranges from 10,000 (US$1,400) to 30,000 yuan, according to the mainland news outlet Phoenix News.

The national TV broadcaster CCTV reports also indicate that child companions are typically hired directly from social media platforms by families, lacking the regulation and protection of agencies.

Most clients are reportedly high net-worth families, with assets worth more than 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million).

Busy with their careers and seeking the best education for their offspring, many of these parents prefer hiring professionals than relying on grandparents for childcare.

A female child companion named Shura told Southern People Weekly that "professional mums" dominate the industry, as child-rearing is still largely viewed as a mother's role, leaving little demand for "professional dads".

"Families who choose male child companions typically do so for their children's athletic development, but parents often refuse because they think men might not be suitable for taking care of their girls," she said.

Inevitably, some children develop additional trust in and affection for their "paid mothers".

A female companion, named Susu, who is proficient in nutrition, prepares meal plans for the week ahead for children in her care.

She spent a summer with a rebellious boy whose mother, she said, was very controlling. Susu helped him with his homework, took him cycling, played basketball, and they often had heart-to-heart conversations.

Once, after an argument with his mother, the boy told her: "I don't like my mum, I want you to be my mother."

Pan Lan, a family education expert from central China's Hubei province, told the Post: "Such child companions cannot replace true parental companionship.

"A child's healthy development, both physical and mental, needs the love and support of their parents."

"High-quality family education is a process of mutual growth between parents and children," she said.

People on mainland social media have mixed opinions about the job.

"We shouldn't call them 'professional' parents. They're just paid experts in certain areas. The word 'parent' has a much deeper emotional meaning," one online observer wrote on Weibo.

"If my child had a companion from a prestigious university, I wouldn't worry about them falling behind others from the start," said another.

More Articles from SCMP

China vows ‘strong measures’ against Philippines over encroaching ships in South China Sea

Panel departure of UK judge serving in Hong Kong ‘may reflect pressure from critics’

Why is hot Pilates firing up social media? The benefits of workout that makes you sweat

Could Olympic-inspired Hong Kong dare to fail?

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.