Kids
Parents: When Do We Consider Kids “Old Enough”?
Netflix show “Old Enough” shows the reality of Japanese parenting and how kids are raised there.
In the Philippines, it’s kind of strange to see a kid walking around alone. We immediately assume that they’re lost, a runaway, or have a negligent parent. But in Japan, it’s always been a norm to let kids do things by themselves. Netflix’s latest Japanese reality show “Old Enough” shows 10-15 minute skits of how Japanese kids as young as 2 years old can accomplish things by themselves.
The difference between Japanese parenting and Filipino parenting
In Japan, it’s normal to see a 2-year-old trying to do the grocery. Although it takes some prompting and time, he or she eventually gets it done much to the joy of the parents. Among the Japanese, they let their kids do errands by themselves to help them become more productive members of society. Since they’re not the commanding type, they would rather ingrain in their kids early on what they can do.
Old Enough covers a variety of kids as they try to achieve simple goals. Bringing clothes, getting some fish, and buying amulets for the local shrine are little things that actually encourage physical and critical thinking development. Physical because they’ll have to learn some motor skills on the way and critical thinking for them to stay focused.
When are our kids old enough really?
A lot of us wish that our kids would never grow up. But that’s something we can’t stop. Our kids will come to an age where we will have to begrudgingly say that they’re “Old Enough”. Although the first few episodes might trigger our clingy parenting tendencies, watching the rest of it will make us realize that sometimes we just have to declare that our kids are “old enough” to do certain things by themselves. Like, watching this series on Netflix.
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