Summer for children is the most anticipated time of the year, but for many poor working families it is a series of stressful days.
When schools are temporarily closed, while making a living cannot be stopped, the problem of taking care of children during the long holiday becomes a constant worry for many parents.
Mr. Dinh Quoc Dai - a motorbike repairman in Hoang Mai (Hanoi) - shared: "My wife works as a shift worker, working from morning to night. I work while repairing my car, taking care of my children, and on a daily basis. Her grandparents were all old and weak, unable to look after her all day. I also don't dare to send them to outsiders, partly because of money, partly because I'm not assured''.
Seeing my children hanging around at home, without friends, without any real experience of summer, I felt helpless and guilty, said Mr. Dinh Quoc Dai.
Ms. Ngoc Ha - a worker at a garment factory in Long Bien - is not getting better. Without the support of relatives, she had to send her child to a neighbor to look after with a symbolic fee.
"If I don't send them, I have to quit my job, but if I quit my job, how can I raise my children? Many times I go to work and worry about how my children eat, sleep and rest" - Ms. Ngoc Ha said.
Another case is Ms. Nguyen Trang Thao (Dong Da district, Hanoi) - a saleswoman at a supermarket. Her husband works far away, so she has to take care of her two young children alone during the summer vacation.
"In the morning I went to work, I sent the older one to class in the morning, the younger one asked his neighbor to keep an eye on him. After work, I run around and fly back. I'm tired but there's no other way" - Ms. Trang Thao said.
Once, her child had a mild fever while her mother was standing at the counter to make money, she was both worried and had to take a break in the middle of the hour to run home: "At that time, I just wanted to have two people to separate and take care of me" - Ms. Trang Thao laughed sadly.
Not only Mr. Dai, Ms. Ha or Ms. Thao, thousands of other poor workers are also struggling between the cycle of making a living and being responsible for their children.
Therefore, summer is no longer the time for children to play and experience, but has become a silent burden on the shoulders of hired parents.
