Commentary: China’s Birthrate Crisis Needs a New Family Blueprint

China is experiencing a sustained decline in birthrates, prompting concern and debate. The author, Liang Jianzhang, and his team have advocated for policy reforms while conducting in-depth interviews with families who have chosen to have multiple children, aiming to understand their motivations and challenges. This approach is meant to inform society and inspire current or prospective parents [para. 1][para. 2].

Child-rearing, while deeply personal, also has national significance due to its impact on broader demographic and social challenges [para. 3]. Traditionally in East Asia, fathers are viewed as the “breadwinner” while mothers bear most caregiving duties. However, recent research demonstrates that father involvement is correlated with better emotional, social, and cognitive outcomes for children and helps reduce gender inequities within families [para. 4].

Liang interviewed a multichild family in 2025 that raises three children using a “shift-based” parenting system without the aid of grandparents or nannies. The mother is the primary caregiver for children aged 0–3, while the father assumes the role from ages 3–6, deliberately resigning from his job to participate. This intentional division of labor and planned parenting window resulted in reduced conflicts and more predictable family management [para. 5][para. 6][para. 7][para. 8].

The family, consisting of Guo Yifeng and Lin Lang, chose to have three children within four years after being inspired by other multichild families. Their decision was deliberate, structured, and based on a clear understanding of parenting patterns, with set plans for caregiving roles, which they believe provided stability and meaningful life experiences [para. 9][para. 10].

The “shift system” involves the mother focusing on attachment and daily routines for young children, and the father guiding older children to develop rule-awareness and exploratory skills. The handover between parents is fluid, with regular family meetings to review and plan, fostering mutual support and process improvement rather than blame [para. 11][para. 12][para. 13]. Career paths were carefully managed: Lin Lang took flexible jobs before becoming a caregiver, and Guo Yifeng transitioned from design to full-time caregiving to enable this model [para. 14].

Both parents experienced personal growth by stepping into each other’s roles: Lin better appreciated her husband’s sacrifices after returning to work, and Guo realized the mental and physical demands of caregiving. Honest communication and regular reviews helped them avoid resentment and focus on shared goals, with Guo ultimately finding greater value in family than in career achievements [para. 15][para. 16][para. 17].

Guo, as a stay-at-home dad, faced “social shrinkage,” losing professional networks and lacking social infrastructure compared to stay-at-home moms. He also encountered societal pressure, where success is traditionally measured by men’s income and position, making it hard for families like theirs to gain recognition. The couple described parenting as resulting in “delayed value feedback,” with results only apparent after years, often misjudged by outsiders as unproductive [para. 18][para. 19][para. 20].

The family highlighted significant practical obstacles: government maternity allowances are insufficient, especially in cities like Beijing, while medical and childcare costs increase. Public and private services—such as group tickets and safety rules—rarely fit families with more than two children, and public spaces for children’s development remain scarce, further disadvantaging multichild families [para. 21][para. 22][para. 23].

Policy recommendations include establishing substantial, nontransferable paternity leave (like Sweden and Iceland), developing father-friendly workplaces, expanding affordable childcare for ages 0–3, and designing products and services friendly to larger families. These steps, it is argued, would meaningfully support families choosing to have more children [para. 24][para. 25][para. 26][para. 27][para. 28].