Certain methods of raising children are just universal like kindness, respect, and sharing but there are certainly different ways of parenting that are unique to individual countries.
From the land of the rising Sun, the world has not only got technology but there are some useful and unique rules which they make their children learn. There are 10 unique Japanese parenting rules that need to be known. Today we have worldwide acknowledgement of these unique Japanese parenting.
1. Discipline them in private
Parents discipline their children in private in a lot of countries. When a child is making a fuss in public, yelling, or just generally misbehaving, parents might rush to put a stop to things at once. Many parents discipline their kids in the presence of others but Japanese parents do this away from prying eyes. In Japan, parents are expected to be role models who remain patient when their children are misbehaving. If a Japanese child was yelling in a crowded train and the parent responded by screaming at them the whole family would feel shame. What are Essential Manners for Children (A Guide for Parents) will be
helpful in this regard. Besides that, parents do it in private so that the child will pay attention to what they’re saying without being distracted by others.
2. Give independence to children
Depending on where you live, the thought of letting your child walk to school alone might turn your stomach in knots. But in Japan, kids go to school by themselves. The Japanese get away with this because they have phenomenal public transport systems and one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
Children are responsible for taking themselves to school and heading back home afterward. It also shows them that their parents trust them. It helps them to behave themselves when they’re alone. kids are also taught independence and self-discipline. During lunchtime at school, a lot of kids work in the cafeteria serving other schoolchildren during lunch.
3. Children must think of others
If kids everywhere thought about other people’s feelings, you’d never see a sibling whack another one with a lego piece or throw a temper tantrum in the middle of the grocery store. This is amongst one of the 10 unique japanese parenting rules. Wherever they are, whether it be at school restaurants, or museums, kids are well-behaved. They stay in their seat, eat what their parents put in front of them, and talk without raising their voices. 4 basic manners for kids that can do wonder [case study] is also worth reading. This means that even if children are uncomfortable or something upsets them, they don’t show it. They either keep it to themselves, let it go, or express it without making a big scene.
4. The children’s nutrition is spot-on
If your little ones throw a temper tantrum at the side of veggies on their plate and they’re screaming for chicken nuggets instead, then this unique japanese parenting tip should help. In japan, a balanced diet is served to them. Their parents prepare a nutritional lunch that usually includes some rice, vegetable soup, and lean meat. So, when they go to school they don’t scarf down a bunch of junk that doesn’t fuel their body. Of course, when you eliminate this bad stuff that brings on mental fog, kids can concentrate on their homework. Even school lunches in japan are just as healthy as homemade meals and include a variety of great food options. Kids grow up always eating right and they associate healthy food with feeling good. This, in turn, helps them make healthy food choices as adults that instill the same values in their kids as well.
5. The community is involved in parenting
When it comes to parenting, every adult that a child comes into contact with plays a role. This means that the entire community can be counted on to help enforce rules. Children spend a lot of time with their grandparents and other relatives which is pretty typical. The difference is that japanese kids are taught to always respect and honor their grandparents and all elders. When kids respect their elders and the elder generation takes an active role in parenting young ones, this creates an environment where the community is a safe place for children to grow up. Since the community protected them when they were growing up the kids become adults with a sense of responsibility to become productive and helpful members of society. It gives back a strong sense to parents that in the event of an emergency, the community will always be there for the child.
6. Rules are more important than punishment
It might seem like japanese parents are very strict but they have a lot of rules so that they don’t have to enforce punishment. Some parents in other countries might try to enforce easy-going rules on their kids and when they don’t respect them, they get punished. There is also best 10 steps how to raise happy kids. A good way of teaching children about rules and what’s expected of them is through extracurricular activities. Kids in japan are often involved in sports teams, creative groups, and any club or gathering that will teach them to cooperate with others and follow preset guidelines. That is why children always know what’s expected of them. They have rules at home, at school, and even during their free time.
7. The mother-child bond is very close
In some cases, japanese culture can be quite patriarchal so those who follow the traditional parenting model put a lot of importance on the mother-child bond. They follow what’s called the proximity parenting style. You might have seen in movies how mothers bathe with their young children, sleep with them carry them around everywhere, and are focused on physical contact. New japanese mothers spent almost all of their time with their newborns. Easy and tested ways of how to be a good mother will be helpful here for many of you. Having a night out or heading to work is pretty uncommon although these practices are starting to change. Japanese mothers have a belief that children are initially disconnected from their parents and that they need to become dependent on their mothers through physical touch. In this way, attachment is more important than public displays of affection.
8. Storytelling is a top priority
Japanese parents take special care in passing on their traditions and telling their kids about their country’s history through fairy tales. There are even scary monsters and a lot of imagination. Parents from other countries might not consider these suitable for their children but to japanese parents, exposing their kids to these sorts of things is a way to better prepare them for real life. It’d be like teaching your children about your country’s history from a very young age without skipping any of the details that are likely involved. They bring their kids to the many japanese festivals that take place every year all to educate them.
9. Children learn how their behavior affects others
Empathy plays a huge role in bringing up children. In japan, children are taught how their behavior directly influences others. In western countries, children are often forced to cooperate or are punished when they do wrong as opposed to teaching the child how that negative action can influence another. Japanese parents will give feelings to animals, which is completely accurate but also inanimate objects like toys for example. If they play roughly with the toy car a parent may say something like, oh my goodness this car is so sad and you’ve hurt his feelings. Considering others before they act is taught from a young age in japan.
10. Cleanliness is as important as living itself
Western families often don’t expect their children to clean up when they’re really little but in japan, children are told what society expects from them, and cleaning up is always expected. Japanese students clean their classrooms as part of their school education. They also work as a team to clean their school including the toilets and this is done from grade one. It’s not even something they think about. It’s just what they do and the schools don’t employ janitors because the children do it all. Japanese children are taught there is a sense of belonging in japan and many towns the community will get together once a month to clean the neighborhood although there is very little to clean.
Conclusion
Like all parenting styles, one accepted method isn’t necessarily better than another but there’s still a lot to be learned from how different cultures raise children. If you want to follow the 10 unique japanese parenting rules, you’ll need to bring your kids up with some tough love when it comes to education and discipline. Establish strong attachments with your children without being overly emotional and get the help of your extended family members in enforcing rules. If it works for people in japan it might just work for you.