CRI听力:Chinese Couples Weigh First Child's Opinion over 2nd

A survey by the China Youth Daily shows over 80-percent of those asked are mostly concerned about the high cost of a 2nd child.

"Even though we are eligible to have a second baby, we can't afford it. It is too expensive to send a second child to a good primary school and buy school district housing."

But at the same time, half of those asked say it's important to understand their first child's thoughts on the matter.

"Since the first child used to be the only child in the family, we're worried they'll feel the second child will steal the limelight from them."

While finances still remain the top concern, anxieties the first child feels are starting to become a growing concern for parents.

Last month, a pregnant mother in Wuhan chose to have an abortion, claiming her 13-year-old daughter was the one who objected, saying she threatened her with death if she had the child.

Mr. Zhao had to plead with his child when he and his wife were considering having another child.

"We did not expect our son would act like this. He asked us to write a commitment letter, saying the birth of our second baby would not affect his own life."

Su Jichao is a primary school teacher in Hebei's capital, Shijiazhuang.

She says she's seen some of her students over-react when their parents decide to have another child.

"These kids can become very bad. They tend to pick fights with their classmates. We think they're doing this in a way to act-out and get attention from their parents and us, their teachers."

The Chinese government eased its restrictions on its decades-long family planning policy a year ago, allowing couples who are the product of the one-child policy to have a 2nd child themselves.

However, statistics suggest only around 6-percent of those who are eligible in Beijing have chosen to do so.

The rate is even smaller in Shanghai.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.