Care for children left behind in rural areas

When visiting home, I saw folks worried about a certain "problem boy" aged about 5 years. A grandma in her 60s takes care of the boy because his parents have left to work in a city as migrant workers. "The boy is way too naughty and out of control. I don't know what I can do now," sighed the weary grandma.

She works harder than most grandparents to raise the child. I have nothing but sympathy and respect for her as she desperately tries to do the best for the child.

I spent some time with the boy, and found him to be neither bad nor dumb. He has just one "problem": He has tons of energy to burn. I suggested installing something like a ping-pong table or a basketball wall mount in the courtyard. The grandma shook her head: "Then all neighbors' kids will come to play and turn my courtyard into a public playground." That could be a worse problem to handle.