Family Moves to China, Discovers Kids Can Roam Freely Without Parental Anxiety

KEY POINTS

•Elisa Orsi and David Sleight moved their family of five from Qatar to Hangzhou, China, in August 2024 after five years abroad.
•They live in a four-bedroom apartment five minutes from school costing $790 a month, paid by Sleight's teaching job.
•Their kids, ages 11, 9, and 7, attend an international bilingual school where Sleight also teaches English.

After five years trading Australian beaches for Qatar's desert and three kids all under six, Elisa Orsi and David Sleight grabbed their family ziplines to Hangzhou, China in August 2024, drawn by Sleight's lucky teaching gig. Their four-bedroom 'modest' $790/month apartment, located 50 minutes outside the bustling city center but just five minutes from the international school, came courtesy of the employer. Impressed by spotless streets and modern trains, they plunged into a smartphone payment culture, Mandarin apps, and wearable kid-trackers that let their 11-, 9-, and 7-year-olds organize their own playdates while Mom comfortably strolls train stations late at night. Surveillance cameras? No problem—resolve issues quick or your kid’s free-range mode is suspended.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Only in China can you pay rent with a smartphone, let your kids roam with smartwatches, and still say, 'Yep, safety's great!' Meanwhile we’re locking our front doors just to get the mail.

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