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A look at a Japanese Daycare Center

By on March 4, 2017

There are many things that work in Japan that won’t work in other countries.  One of them is the ability of children to be independent and go about their day-to-day tasks with no parent or guardian in sight.

It is perfectly normal in Japan to find kids as young as six years old run errands and take trains alone without whining.  Kids learn early how to control and self-regulate emotions making it easy for them to follow instructions and create harmonious relationship with their peers.

In a TV program watched by many families in Japan, Hajimete No Otsukai (My First Errand) children as young as 4 and 5 are put to the test. They are asked to run  errands for mom or dad to buy things at a nearby store or convey messages to a neighbor.  Despite a few distractions along the way, most of them, surprisingly, get things right.  It is the practiced behavior that makes Japanese children calm and disciplined.

While disciplining children is a pivotal role parents play, daycare centers help reinforce it.  See what happens on a typical day at a Japanese daycare center.

About Ted Tanaka