Children - One Child Policy

Maybe because I'm missing our grandchildren, but I notice the children.

For one thing, our bathroom window faces the grounds of the kindergarten on campus. First thing every morning, we enjoy watching their exercises at 8:30 a.m. (when we're not in class ourselves).

For another, every child seems to be dressed beautifully. Even when the parents are obviously poor, their little girl is often in a party dress; their little boy in matching outfit and hat.

Some parents, upon seeing Jim or me, will 'push' their child to speak to us in English. Some do; most are too shy. Several times very small children have burst into tears, frightened by our foreign faces.

China does retain its one child policy. I have been told that because of concerns about aborting a child of a non-preferred sex, all doctors in China are prohibited by the government from disclosing the sex of a baby prior to birth. And, the vast majority of parents we see have only one child. They walk hand in hand with their children - including children in their teenage years and beyond. (Connie)