Loneliness and the language barrier

Few people find it easy to acclimatize to life in another country, but middle-age parents who accompany their children overseas find it especially difficult.

Beijing resident Wu Ping, who has spent more than a year in the United States with her 15-year-old son, said displaced parents usually encounter two main problems. "One is the language barrier, and the other is the loneliness engendered by long-term separation from families back home," the 46-year-old said.

Wu's words rang true to Tang Xiaobing, who accompanied her 14-year-old son to the US in 2013.