The article examines the Chinese phenomenon of left-behind children in the context of parental labour ac-cording to a survey of parents and in-depth interviews con-ducted in China in 2021. The purpose of the study is to ana-lyse the statistical characteristics of differences in motiva-tions in two groups of parents: those who were left-behind children and those who were not. The research results show that for the respondents who were left-behind children, the motivation to obtain material benefits and to receive care in old age is stronger than for the respondents who were not left-behind children. For respondents who were left-behind children, the duration of the experience of being a left-behind child is associated with a higher level of education, which can lead to a weakening of the motivation for materi-al gain in parenting.