It's Okay Even If You Don't Go to School! 3 Reasons a Worried Father Found Peace of Mind

When my child stopped going to school, I, as a father, was very anxious.
“What will happen to their future?”
“Is it really okay for them to stay out of school?”
I thought about this almost every day, comparing my child to the energetic students I saw on my commute.

I felt that truancy was a problem that needed to be solved immediately, and I was impatient.
The result, unfortunately, was the breakdown of our family.

It took me two to three years to accept the situation.
But now, I can truly say, “As long as you are alive, everything will be okay!”
This change in mindset was largely due to realizing the current state of Japanese society and the strengths of our children.

1. The reality of the declining birthrate has taught me: “Just being alive is rare and valuable.”

When I was worried about my child not going to school, I often heard the terms “declining birthrate” and “labor shortage” in the news. At first, I didn't connect them, but then I realized.

Compared to our generation, the number of Japanese people is completely different!
“The fact that a child is alive is already of great value to society.” That is what I realized.

I am from the ice-age generation, and during job hunting, terms like “winners” and “losers” were rampant. But now the population is shrinking, and the younger generation is needed by everyone. Even now, labor shortages are being shouted about, and hiring is difficult. In the future, they will become even more rare and valuable, even if there is a temporary economic downturn.
That’s why I realized I could relax a little bit about the feeling of “worrying because they aren't going to school.”

2. A child’s love for the internet and games will be a weapon for the future in the AI era

I think many parents worry that their children who don't go to school are just playing games or on their smartphones at home. I was the same.
I thought it would shrink their brains or lead to addiction, so I moved to ban it entirely.

However, at one point, I thought: “I can't compete with 3D games at all. But my child operates them as if it were natural. Isn't this an amazing thing?”

Society is moving toward AI, and it will be an era where traditional academic backgrounds and rote memorization skills alone will not suffice. In that context, the fact that children are naturally encountering new technologies and learning them while having fun is a significant strength. I began to think that the “ability to be absorbed in what you love” is a future possibility, more so than going to school.

3. “Being alive” is more important than academic background

Now that the number of foreign workers is increasing, who cares about their academic background?
I think that in Japanese society, “existence itself” is valued more than “what kind of academic background one has.”
The same goes for children. It is not about whether they can go to school, but that they are alive and living their days, which is what is truly important.

As a parent of a child who doesn't go to school, I inevitably worry about “studies,” “advancement,” and the “future.” I compare them to other children. But what is truly important is that they are alive.
If they say “I want to die,” instead of encouraging them with grit-based logic like “What are you saying?”, I think it is better to think in the direction of protecting them with all your might.

Children grow at their own pace. Even if it takes time, it will be okay.

Summary: It’s okay even if you don't go to school. This is not baseless encouragement

It took me two to three years to find peace of mind after my child stopped going to school. During that time, I was full of anxiety, but by realizing the reality of the declining birthrate, the skills needed in the AI era, and the perspective that “just being alive has value,” I am now able to watch over my child with peace of mind.

Instead of being impatient and forcing them to go to school, a father should reassure himself, saying “It’s okay, this is fine,” and interact with his wife and children. Ensuring psychological safety is important.

“It’s okay even if you don't go to school.” This is not baseless encouragement, but a message that the times are teaching us. Because children will definitely be needed in the future.