Abstract: Social economic transformation and urban-rural dual structure, as well as the transfer of rural labor force to cities have led to the widespread phenomenon of rural left-behind families and intergenerational upbringing. However, the absence or separation of parents does not necessarily lead to the absence of parental rearing or break-up of parent-child relationship. The subjective perspective transcends the presupposition of binary opposition, creating its own history in the structure. Through the edification of social culture, the perception of parent-child relationship, and the substitution of important others in schools and communities, left-behind children develop a cognitive schema of parental generational tenure based on their own perspectives. The structure of parental generational tenure in children can be divided into three levels, Basic Level (symbolizing parents and transcendental parents), Core Level (concrete parents and responsible parents), Support Level (guardian’s maintenance of parent’s role and the important position of acting parent). Such an interpretation framework of parental generational tenure from a child’s perspective has an important enlightenment, for schools to communicate and cooperate with families of Left-behind children, and for rational choice of methods of family education for left-behind children.

Key words: parental generational tenure, rural left-behind families, intergenerational upbringing, school-family partnerships