The children in the hot rented room
Near the end of May, the early summer sun shines down on the rows of workers' boarding houses in Nhue village (Thien Loc commune, Hanoi), making the atmosphere in the level-four rooms even more stuffy. In a rented room of less than 20m2, Ms. Ta Thi Hien - a worker in Quang Minh Industrial Park - is busy cleaning after work. The study corner of her two daughters is located next to the bed of the whole family. Furniture is piled up all corners of the room.
In just a few days, her two children will enter summer vacation. The older one is in 3rd grade, the younger one is in 1st grade. However, the joy of children's summer vacation has become a concern for the worker mother.
Every summer, I have a headache about where to send my child safely" - Ms. Hien shared.
Both husband and wife are workers, often overtime, sometimes going from early morning to late at night to return. If she leaves her children in Hanoi, she is not at ease because the rented room is cramped, electric wires are intertwined, there are many belongings, and the risk of fire and explosion is always present. The rented area is also deserted during the day, and children mainly play with each other.
One year, because she didn't want to be away from her children, she left both babies with their parents. Before going to work, the couple prepared meals and instructed their older children to take care of their younger siblings. However, throughout her shift at the factory, she never stopped feeling anxious.
This year, after much deliberation, she decided to send her two children back to her hometown for her grandparents to take care of during the summer. However, the mother is still not completely reassured.
In the countryside, it is more spacious, but children are hyperactive, I am still afraid that the children will play electricity and water. Parents are old, taking care of the two children is also hard work" - Ms. Hien said.
For many out-of-province workers, summer is not only a story of children's rest but also a stressful time. Sample income makes it difficult for them to have their children participate in skills classes, summer semi-boarding or hire babysitters. Many people only know how to choose a less risky option in their own circumstances.
In worker dormitories, it is not difficult to see images of children hanging around all day in hot, stuffy rooms, waiting for their parents to leave work and return home.
Worrying about sending children and summer empty spaces
Not far from Ms. Hien's rented room is the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Pham Duy Dinh, who are also workers working near Quang Minh Industrial Park. His family has two children, one in 6th grade and one in 3rd grade.
Unlike many families who choose to send their children back to their hometown, Mr. Dinh and his wife decided to leave their children in Hanoi this summer.
“We want our children to be close to their parents. Moreover, they also study Math and English in the summer, so traveling is also more convenient” - Mr. Dinh shared.
During the day, when parents go to work, the two brothers will stay at the boarding house to take care of each other. What worries him the most is that the boarding area is almost without adults at home during office hours.
The male worker said that before each morning going to work, he and his wife carefully reminded their children: Do not go out far from the rented area, do not cycle out on the main road, stay away from ponds and lakes, and do not play with dangerous objects.
Even so, in the father's eyes, anxiety still faintly appeared. Because just one minute of carelessness, an accident with a young child could happen at any time.
Every summer, the story of workers sending their children to school becomes a common concern in many industrial parks. Many parents accept the scene of their children being away from their parents for many months in exchange for safety. There are also families who are forced to let their children take care of each other because they have no other choice.
Behind the continuous production lines are workers who always carry constant worries about their children. For them, the simplest desire in the summer is not expensive travel or fun activities, but just having a safe place for their children to play and be cared for when their parents are making a living.
