The Chinese way of living is quite unique and very different from the life style of people in the West. In the ancient time also, it was very different. In ancient China, there were class differences. On one hand, there was a very rich upper class, on the other hand, there also existed a very poor class. In spite of these differences, the Chinese gave utmost importance to the upbringing of their children (ancient China children).
According to ancient Chinese people, the most important relationship of a person is with his family. A family was regarded as the essential institution of the society. The system of joint family prevailed in ancient China. Children used to live along with their parents and grandparents. A family was given the utmost priority. Even friends came after it.
Ancient Chinese children were deprived of education. Most of them worked on their parents’ farms, picking weeds planting seeds. Only boys of rich families enjoyed the right to go to school.
The girls belonging to the higher strata of the society were not allowed to go to school. But in order to get the political power, the boys had to work very hard in the school as doing well in the state examinations was the only way to get it.
According to the ritual of ancient China, the girls had to leave their parental home after marriage and had to stay in their husband’s house for their entire life. This was often difficult and hard for them, as the girls got married at a younger age and in their husband’s house, they had to do whatever his mother told them to do. Due to poverty, sometimes poor farmers had to sell their daughters to the rich people.
The discrimination between boys and girls existed in the ancient Chinese society. For ancient Chinese people, sons were more important than daughters. Female infanticide also prevailed in ancient China during that time. Ancient China Children were expected to know their limits in the family and are obedient. A system of arranged marriages prevailed.