As a very soon-to-be dad, I am reading a lot about children. In my quest for basic parenting knowledge, I have also found some interesting TV documentaries that have helped me prepare for my daughter’s birth.
While watching one of those documentaries, I saw something that left me speechless. In “Becoming You”, a great documentary available on Apple TV, one can see how a couple of Japanese parents send their 3-year-old to pick up Sushi from a restaurant.
The toddler leaves home and walks to a restaurant located in Tokyo. Once there, he picks up the Sushi order, pays for it, and spontaneously decides to buy a toy with the spare change. All by himself.
I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes. Isn’t that reckless? Well, it is safe to assume that it depends on who you ask. And most importantly, where you ask that question.
The first errand
As surprising as it might be, the show’s concept is not new. It is indeed inspired by a famous Japanese TV show called “Hajimete no Otsukai” (The first errand).
I immediately felt the need to learn more about this Japanese tradition. After some Google searches, I found out that it is actually quite common to see very young children “commuting” — without their parents — in Japan. Some say it is to teach them how to be independent. But it is also clear to me that what allows that “experiment” is a feeling of trust and security that cannot be found in every country and society.
Making your children run their first errand is something that we can see everywhere. But the age at which that happens varies a lot. I am currently living in Denmark, and even though it is the safest country I have ever lived in, I wouldn’t imagine sending my child to run an errand at the age of three.
After giving this some thought, my personal takeaway was that it is just a matter of cultural differences and customs. Nothing wrong with that. Yet, it has made me realize that in some cases it is us, parents, that limit what children can do by themselves. We do it of course to protect them, but we might learn something amazing if we give them some extra freedom.
Another cultural difference that shocked me
There is indeed something Danes do, which shocks pretty much any foreigner that arrives in Denmark. I was one of them too.
When I moved here, I noticed that people would park their baby strollers outside restaurants and cafeterias. Even during winter. That might not sound unusual by itself, but I remember being shocked when I realized that they were leaving their babies inside them.
Yes, Danish people believe that leaving their babies outside, where they can breathe fresh, cold winter air improves their health.
Will I do it with my own child? I don’t think so. But in any case, I think it is great to see how different cultures treat children differently. We should open our eyes and pick those traditions that we like the most regardless of their origin.
…
Here you can watch the trailer of the documentary:
If you want to read more content like this, you can subscribe to my newsletter to receive it directly into your inbox.
If you want to get unlimited access to Medium, you can become a member using my referral page. Part of your $5 subscription will go to support me and other Medium writers.
—
This post was previously published on medium.com.
***
You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
 White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism |
 Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box |
 The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer |
 |
—
Photo credit: iStockPhoto.com
