On social networks, the phrase "retire and get a summer vacation" is becoming a trend, making people laugh but also raising many concerns about the lack of playground for children and the invisible pressure on the shoulders of the elderly.
Short clips recording the helpless chase of grandparents, laughing and being friendly, quickly spread all over TikTok and Facebook. An old man prepares to sit at the dining table when the child pulls a chair down "facing", or the old man is folding his clothes when the nephew secretly turns a water pump on the old lady's head - all of which become trends that attract millions of views.
Netizens jokingly call this a "war between retirement and summer vacation". For young children, the summer vacation is a time for fun and relaxation to explore. But for many retired grandparents, summer is a series of tiring days. While parents are busy with work, the elderly - who are already weak, often become the reluctant "full-time caregiver".
In the city, there is already a lack of space for children to play, most of the children are just wandering around in apartments of a few dozen square meters or apartment corridors. In rural areas, many families choose to send their children back to their hometowns for grandparents to look after, but the rural environment is no longer as safe as before: ponds and lakes are not fenced off, the village road has speeding, not to mention the lack of public playgrounds for children.
When conditions do not allow children to play safely on their own, grandparents have to play the role of "supervisors" all day, from watching them eat, drink, bathe to keeping them from... climbing walls, climbing roofs. This not only causes physical fatigue but also causes the psychology of the elderly to always be in a state of stress.
In many families, the trust of young parents to grandparents is going beyond the limit. Many parents have the advantage of saying, "your grandparents retire and have a lot of time", "if you don't do anything at home, you take care of your grandchild for the convenience". They forget that the elderly also have the need to rest, stay healthy, and live a free life, not to just dwell as nannies in secret.
In that context, the videos of "retiring and meeting summer vacation" are fun but also expose a burning social problem: Today's children seriously lack space, programs and proper summer tour guides. And as a result, the elderly have to "carry" that shortage.
It is necessary to frankly admit that we are lacking cultural and educational institutions outside of school for children in the summer. Children's centers are weak in operation, community centers lack investment. Many summer camp programs are commercial and not suitable for the working households and low-income laborers.
Therefore, the solution is not only in each family but also from the authorities, mass organizations and the community. It is necessary to invest more in safe playgrounds, free summer classes, physical and artistic activities in residential areas and industrial parks. At the same time, the media should also speak stronger about the right to rest of the elderly - so that every summer vacation does not become a "old age nightmare" of grandparents.
Summer vacation is a precious time for children, a time when they should develop comprehensively both physically and mentally. But that is only really meaningful if children can live in the right space, with proper companionship from adults - not relying on the silent sacrifice of the retired... sector.
