A Place Where Children Can Thrive

This is Otomo from the support group for moms of children with developmental differences.

We held our November circle meeting.
Two new people joined us this time.
Thank you very much.

A common topic in our circle is
【Talk about places】

・Family doctors
・Developmental support, kindergartens, nursery schools
・Regular classes, resource rooms, special needs classes, special needs schools
・After-school day services
and so on.

“How is it going since you started attending?”
We all want to research what kind of place is right for our child
and where they can go to thrive.

For a place where a child can thrive,
it is essential that the child can spend their time there with peace of mind.

Imagine a bus tour where they say,
“There will be no bathroom breaks for the next three hours!!”
You wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy it, right?
(↑ That’s an extreme example, haha)

And,
what creates a place is thepeople

who are there.
There are adults who will say,
“You get 100 points just for showing up,”even if the child arrived crying their eyes out.

Or people who praise what they were able to do,
saying, “You did a great job participating until the end,”
even if things were a bit messy.

The presence of adults who understand their traits and interact with them accordingly
allows children to feel secure.

Since there are many parts
that you won't know until you actually go there,

you don't have to decide after just one visit.
You can go and see many places,
and if you feel it's not right, you can change it.

Thinking of it that way,
I think moms can also relax
and think about it more easily.

On the other hand,
one mom raised a question, saying,
“People say ‘you don't have to force yourself to do things you're not good at,’ but is that really okay?
It's the child who will be in trouble if they can't do it... right...?”

It is true that this is the current trend.
It's painful if you are

forcedto do things you can't do,but you won't grow if you only do things you can already do.

The experience of saying “I did it!” leads to confidence,
so personally, I believe that a child's potential
is hidden in the ‘dips’ of their uneven development.

You don't have to push too hard,
but if they can try, I want them to try.
It's a parent's heart to want to help them increase what they can do, even if just a little.

I thought it was amazing that someone questioned
the ‘trends’ or the idea that ‘everyone else is doing it’
at this month's circle meeting.

The next meeting will be the last one of the year.
We look forward to seeing you there.