The family life experiences of first-born children in two-child families with large birth interval under the Universal Two-Child Policy in China

Abstract

The implementation of the universal Two-Child Policy in 2016, led to a unique social phenomenon, namely, the emergence of two-child families with a large age gap between the first and second children. This study is based on data from 33 semi-structured interviews with first-born children and 10 interviews with mothers from two-child family with large age gap, exploring the transition from one-child to two-child families from the perspective of the first-born, supplemented by the mothers' viewpoints. This study aims to understand more comprehensively the real-life experiences of families with significant birth spacing. It explores the impact of the arrival of a new child on the first-born's family, personal life, internal family relationships, and family concepts. It also presents participants' views and suggestions regarding the family planning policy. The findings are presented through thematic analysis. Participant narratives indicate that the arrival of a second child impacts the parental relationship with the first-born, the marital relationship between the parents, and the overall family atmosphere, posing challenges for the first-born in adapting to and establishing a sibling relationship. Additionally, the study finds that these first-born children, growing up amid China's societal transformation, display a conflicting mix of traditional Chinese family values and individualistic concepts, reflecting a complex family concept. This study highlights both the opportunities and challenges that arise for the development of the first-born and overall family dynamics and provides recommendations for various relational strategies to most successfully navigate the adjustment process.

Date of Award	30 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Jon Symonds (Supervisor) & Vicky Sharley (Supervisor)