Picture books I want mothers to read
I thought raising children would be happy and fun, but it turned out to be even more difficult than that.
What makes it so hard?
Because everything revolves around the child,
not only can you not keep your own time or pace, but
in addition to housework like cleaning, laundry, and cooking,
there is putting them to sleep, playing with them,
preparing milk and baby food, and changing diapers.
Oh, and you have to rush over as soon as they cry.
The difficulty of things not going as planned, like when you want them to sleep but they won't, is also significant.
By using all my time for my children,
I felt so restricted,
constantly thinking, 'I have no time for myself!!'
Now that my children have grown up, I feel a bit lonely and think I should have enjoyed that restricted life more,
but back then, I was just desperately trying to get by.
There were many times I escaped to the bathroom,
thinking, 'Just give me a break already.'
There were even times I screamed and cried along with them.
But in truth, I want to enjoy the time with the child in front of me more.
I want to cherish the time spent raising them more.
I want to rejoice in their growth and not miss a single thing.
…or so I thought.
I just kept thinking, over and over,
that I wanted my own time and I wanted freedom.
How about you all?
Mothers right in the middle of raising children!
When I was in the thick of it,
Children grow up in the blink of an eye, so cherish the present
I couldn't honestly nod at words like that.
Because I couldn't see the end.
I was thinking, 'It's tough right now!'
Here are some picture books I'd like mothers who are currently raising children to read.
1. "Anna ni Anna ni" (So Much, So Much) Poplar Publishing
By Shinsuke Yoshitake
Raising children is a series of 'so much.' You wanted it so much, you worried so much, they were so small—. Amidst the many 'so much' moments that fill daily life, children grow into adults—. A gentle picture book by the hugely popular picture book author Shinsuke Yoshitake, which I want to deliver to children and everyone who was once a child, that might make your eyes well up a little.
Raising children feels like it has no end, but
the end does come after all.
Sometimes, it ends unexpectedly
without a sound.
When was the last time you breastfed?
When was the last time you sang that lullaby to them?
When was the last day you held them in your arms?
When was the last time you read that picture book you used to read every night?
Before you know it, parenting moves on to the next stage.
There is no going back.
My children's sleeping faces haven't changed even now.
But even these sleeping faces that I see every day as a matter of course,
I wonder if a day will come when I'll think,
when was the last time I saw them?
I deeply feel that everything comes to an end.
My daughter and son, who are still cute now, will they become a middle-aged woman and man someday? Haha
2. How to Raise a Polar Bear, Asukashinsha
Written by Noriko Utsumi
Originally sold as a mini picture book at a small gallery in Kobe and sold out.
It is such a popular picture book that local nursery schools request it every year, and it has finally been published as a book due to the passionate requests of mothers!
They are cute, but sometimes they turn into monsters and trouble their moms.
All children are "polar bears."
This book overlays the growth of a polar bear with the growth of a child,
and is a cheering song for moms, filled with the thought,
"It's tough, but remember how you felt when you first became a mother!"
This picture book is written with
12 important things to keep in mind when raising a polar bear.
Polar bears, that's right! They are our children.
Polar bears may not always do what you want, but they love their mother's smile.
Reading it now,
I have regrets, like wishing I had played with my polar bears more,
or that I should have waited patiently
when they were trying to tell me something.
But my own polar bears,
even though they have grown, are still in their first year of junior high and fifth grade of elementary school.
Since they still have their current cuteness now,
I want to watch over them closely.
Please, do give it a read♪
"Anna ni Anna ni" (So Much, So Much) can also be watched as a video on Poplar Publishing's YouTube channel.