Series' second season continues exploring family growing pains

Growing Together, a comedy-drama shedding light on Chinese parenting, has returned to the small screen, with its second season premiering on MangoTV on Monday.

Directed by Li Shaofei, the new season sees Zhang Jiayi and Chen Hao reprising their roles as scriptwriter Liu Xiangshang and his wife, Dai Jing. Their family's summer vacation is thrown into chaos when their flight is canceled due to severe weather. After a frantic struggle, they finally return to Beijing close to midnight on the eve of the new school semester. The family must then navigate a series of new challenges that reflect common parenting struggles, workplace stress, and the complexities of midlife crises.

Alongside Liu's family, the drama also explores the lives of three other families, each with its own mix of joys and difficulties.

During a promotional event in Beijing on Sunday, actress Chen said the series explores a universal question faced by all working mothers: how to balance a career with family.

"There is no standard answer to this question. A parent's emotional stability is crucial to a child's healthy development. At the same time, a child's growing pains can also teach adults how to become better parents," Chen said.

The 40-episode drama will also air on Hunan Television starting Sept 18.