Chinese woman Nianan, 40, gave up her career and decided to be a “full-time daughter” for a salary of “$570/month. After 15 years of employment at a news organisation, Nianan made the decision to leave in 2022 because her position had changed, exposing her to increasing challenges, stress levels, and the ongoing demand to be accessible around the clock.
Her parents intervened after noticing that she was having trouble. She was asked, “Why don’t you just quit your job?” Out of their 10,000 yuan pension, they also offered her “4,000 yuan/month” ($570). She subsequently made the decision to quit her work and accept her parents’ invitation to be their “full-time daughter” instead.
Her job has been referred to by Nianan as a “profession filled with love.” She described her daily routine, saying that she spends an hour dancing with her parents and goes food shopping with them. She prepares dinner with her father in the evenings. She also organises one or two family vacations per month, drives them, and is in charge of all electronic things.
For young people in the nation dealing with the mounting stress of the labour market—a full-time daughter job in China is an alternative
However, Ninan claimed that despite how enjoyable spending time with her parents is, the need to get more money continues to be a constant pressure in her life. Nianan’s parents have continuously reassured her by saying that if she finds a more suitable job, she can go for it. But if she doesn’t want to work, then she can just stay at home and spend time with them.
For young people in the nation dealing with the mounting strain of the labour market and the grind of “996”—working 9 am to 6 pm, six days a week—the full-time daughter job in China is an alternative. Being a digital nomad is a similar alternative that has grown in appeal in the Asian nation among those embracing the lifestyle of being financially independent and actively seeking employment. With these possibilities, people are able to overcome the limitations of traditional employment and achieve a great deal more career autonomy. These choices aren’t suitable for everyone, though. Nianan’s news became viral, which spurred discussions on social media.
A user said, “Clearly, it is simply relying on one’s parents, known as ken lao in Chinese, which translates into ‘eat the old’, yet they insist on labelling it as being a ‘full-time daughter’.” While another user said, “If both the parents and their children are genuinely happy, why not embrace it? In the future, the young labour force will hold a higher value. If some people consider it ken lao, or relying on parents, then why not exchange children to take care of the elderly in each others’ families?”
