Chinese grannies seemingly have an entirely different view on how their grandchild should look like than parents do. These ‘before and after mother-in-law visit’ photos are going viral on Chinese social media.

“Because of a business trip, my mother-in-law took care of my son for two weeks,” one Weibo blogger wrote on November 23rd: “As a result, I barely recognized my son when I came back home.”

The funny blogger is hinting to some screenshots that are currently going viral on Chinese social media, in which a mother says in a chat conversation that she went to visit her hometown for two days and left her son with his grandmother and her mother-in-law – leading to an unwelcome make-over.

The photos of how her child looked before the trip show a happy kid with thick black hair.

“Before leaving,” the text says.

Another “before leaving” photo.

And then the screenshot shows the “after coming back” photos.

The mother writes: “Clothes are gone. Hair is gone. He looks like a beggar.”

On Weibo, the photos are a source of much banter for most netizens. Many seem to recognize the situation, saying: “My mother-in-law would do exactly the same.” Some people, however, vent their frustration:

“The other night I went out to buy something with my husband after dinner. When we came back my mother-in-law had changed my child into some old garments. Super ugly. I took them off right away. It’s just unbearable, she’ll always insist that he’s cold!”

Others swear they would not leave their child with their mother-in-law, saying: “It’s not just about how she changes his clothes, but also about what she teaches him!”

Over the past few years, ‘before and after staying with grannie’ photos have become an online phenomenon with people sharing photos of their children before staying over at their grandmother’s, and afterwards,

Left: “With Mum and Dad”; Right: “With Grannie”

Similarly, last year also saw an online trend where young women showed their ‘before and after’ looks after celebrating Chinese New Year in their hometowns; going from fashionable urban outfits to comfortable and warm ‘countryside’ clothes.

Amidst all banter, one commenter stands up for the grannies, saying: “Young people only look at what looks nice [on a kid]; grandmothers just want their grandchildren to be warm and snuggy.”

By Manya Koetse
@manyapan
Follow @whatsonweibo

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