Japan is a country of incredible achievements in the field of advanced technologies. Its systems of child-rearing, education, and work distribution are still not amenable to the perception of many European countries. The Japanese upbringing of the child was built on principles that pay tribute to the centuries-old history of the people. What is the peculiarity of such a system? And what are the shortcomings in the upbringing of children, based on modern world trends?
Child or "emperor" or "slave"
The Japanese parenting system is based on several stages of a child's development. In total, there are 3 stages.
- The first stage begins at birth and lasts until the child's 5th birthday. During this period, children do not know the word "no", they are allowed everything. In the family, the child is considered the main, "emperor", and lives in absolute love and permissiveness.
- The second stage begins when the child reaches the age of 6 and lasts until his 15th birthday. During this period, the child, in fact, is thrown off the pedestal and abruptly thrown off to the role of a "slave" in the family. During this period of growing up, the child is accustomed to strict discipline and obedience to the elders. The period of school education begins, where he becomes not a single member of society, but part of a group. The child is taught not to stand out from the crowd.
- The third stage comes on the day of the 16th anniversary. Now he is becoming "equal" with society. During this period of time, a young man or girl realizes that the main thing in their life is work, the level of respect and importance in the team. He is taught to respect those around him.
The very system of education in Japan is similar to Soviet norms, in particular this applies to the rule "not to stand out from the crowd." The child is accustomed to the fear of public censure. But is this method of educating modern society effective – or are there still a number of drawbacks?
Gender-based education
Modern Japanese society still adheres to outdated principles in the different upbringing of men and girls. In the age of equality, Japan, on the contrary, is moving far back.
Today, based on a centuries-old tradition, in Japan, men are brought up not just as the head of the family, but as the main defender. The upbringing of a boy in the family takes place in a more stringent mode. At school, they are loaded much more than girls. It all comes to the point that young men are obliged to stay after school for additional classes, while the fair sex after school can take a walk in the park, chat and have fun.
Boys are forbidden to go to the kitchen and cook. Any participation in household chores for boys is prohibited - this is considered the territory and duties of girls only. A young man is, first of all, a reliable support for the family.
Girls in Japanese families are brought up with fewer rights. As we have already said, first of all, girls are expected to fully manage the household. Their upbringing is secondary. Young girls, in addition to home, are obliged to support their husband and fully take over the upbringing of the child.
One with Mom
In connection with the main role of the mother in the upbringing of the child, a negative shade in the educational system can also be traced here. From birth to the age of 6, the child is inseparable from the mother, he practically does not spend time with the father. The only moment when the father devotes time to the child is on the weekend, the rest of the time his mother is engaged in his upbringing.
Hyper-custody on the part of the mother is manifested not only in the upbringing itself. The child sleeps with his mother for a long time, most of the time he spends in her arms. In fact, they become one. Any childish whim mom is ready to fulfill.
Such a phenomenon of hyper-custody can affect the formation of a child as a person not in the best light. At such a moment, the mother does not perceive the child as a separate person with his character and his desires. Such an attitude towards children interferes with proper upbringing: in the future, it is more difficult for such children to make their own decisions, since from childhood they were deprived of the right to choose. At a more mature age, a young man or woman will be more infantile, will not be able to take responsibility for himself and, most importantly, will not be able to solve some issues on his own.
Collectivism – salvation from loneliness
Modern standards of child rearing reduce to the goal of revealing the potential of the child. In Japan, from childhood, the child is taught to be the same as everyone else. If you plunge into the history of the Land of the Rising Sun, then it was some aspects of the formation of Japan that formed the main condition for education - collectivism. Loneliness and alienation from society is the main fear of any Japanese, from young to old. Such a threat extends not only to the society surrounding the individual, but also to the family or clan.
If a child begins to go against his peers in a particular issue, then he becomes not just an object for ridicule, but also almost a real outcast who is persecuted and bullied.
Such a phenomenon is alien to modern society. Despite the openness of this topic at the level of state power and the desire to change such a mood, little changes. The land of the rising sun tries to keep up with modern development trends, but the entrenched traditions are not inferior. Young parents are increasingly trying to unlock a child's potential, while school continues to suppress individuality with collective intelligence.
