How to deal with Asian parents when they take care of your kids PART 6 Be Grateful - a podcast by Katharine Chan

Be grateful 

Before getting pregnant, I already knew that I wanted to raise my kids in the city where I grew up. They have great public schools (I am proud to be a product of that system) and the community is very child-friendly. I’m grateful we can afford to live here and were able to buy a home close to my parents. 

I wanted to be close to my parents because I want my kids to have a strong relationship with their grandparents, something I didn’t have growing up because they lived in Hong Kong. I met my Gong Gong once when I was 5 and my Por Por left earth too early before I was born. On my dad’s side, I only have a couple of distant memories of my Maa Maa and Ye Ye before they passed.

The relationship they have with my kids is priceless; taking care of them keeps my parents busy, engaged and gives them a renewed sense of a purpose. It challenges them mentally, emotionally and physically and although they’ll never admit it, I believe having my daughter around has helped reinvigorate their marriage and appreciation for one another. They’ve had to relearn how to work as a team.

I’m fortunate to be in the situation that I am in and it’s hard to complain when I know I am on the side where the grass is greener.

Further episodes of Sum On Sleeve Podcast

Further podcasts by Katharine Chan

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