10 Rules for Raising Children

I am raising four children, and parenting is really difficult, isn't it?
There are no answers, no set forms, and you never know the outcome or the story! (laughs)

That is only natural, since every parent is a first-time parent.
There is no such thing as an 'experienced parent,' is there?

Now, in Kitakyushu City, there is something truly, truly wonderful called
'10 Rules for Raising Children'
.

At the beginning of PTA meetings, we alwaysrecite it in unison with all participants.
There is a 'Family Education Class' session this afternoon as well, and I expect everyone will recite it then too.

I really love these '10 Rules for Raising Children'.

So, please let me introduce them to you today!!

~Kitakyushu City 10 Rules for Raising Children~
1. Start the morning brightly and with a smile saying'Good morning'
2. Say'Thank you'and'I'm sorry'
to your family 3. Parenting ispraising, scolding, watching over, and hugging
4. When listening, look into your child's eyes andlisten with your heart
5.Make mealtimes something to look forward toin your home 6. Value
experiences over things7. Parents should first properly follow
social rules8. Reach out to
the treasures of the community,the children 9. Teach them about
peace, life,and helping one another 10. With your children,talk about your dreams

What do you think?
Isn't it cute how some are in 5-7-5 rhythm and some aren't? (laughs)
It's not about being stylish; it really shows thatthese were created with heart!! (laughs)

I'll pick a few to talk about.

Every time I see these or say them out loud,
I find myself self-reflecting and questioning my own actions.
These two, in particular, are very deep and difficult.

3. Parenting is praising, scolding, watching over, and hugging
4. When listening, look into your child's eyes and listen with your heart

This is my favorite one.

8. Reach out to the treasures of the community, the children

This is also a theme of my NPO's activities.
I even greet the neighborhood kids.
Conversely, when my own children's friends come over to play, I tell them to make sure they greet me properly.
This is more aboutcommunity education rather than family education.

How about this one?
1. Start the morning brightly and with a smile saying 'Good morning'

I'm not sure if our home is bright or full of smiles...
but the morning storm probably begins with a look like a demon (lol).

But still, what I value is
saying, '(Name), good morning.'
I try to make sure I call them by their name.
I make an effort to call out the child's name.

It was written in some business technique book I read once,
that when dealing with subordinates, you should try saying, '(Name), good morning.'
Ever since reading that, I try to put their name first whenever possible.

There is a wonderful principal who greets the children at the school gate every morning.
'(Name), good morning,' '(Name), good morning.'
He calls every single one of them by name.

Not just with my own children, but with the neighborhood kids too,, I try to make it a point to say,
'(Name), good morning.'

How about this?
2. Say 'Thank you' and 'I'm sorry' to your family too

You force children to do this, right? (lol)
But what about between husband and wife? (lol)
Always saying I'm sorry,
I'm sorry about that, thank you...
Oh, wait, is it the other way around? (lol)

For me, this is a very important theme.

7. Parents must first properly follow social rules
9. Let's teach about peace, life, and helping each other

'Let's teach'
Yeah, I think 'let's teach' is fine, but
I don't think it's quite like that.
'Let's think about it together'
'Let's feel it together'
I think it's more of a feeling like that.

Perhaps this is the one we are achieving the most in our home.

5. Make your home a place where meals are something to look forward to

I don't think I originally placed much importance on this.
I thought of meals as just nutritional intake (lol).
But my wife values this, and I have been influenced by her.

'Home' is my base.
I want it to be a place where my children can return, both in body and soul.

I feel that meals play a central role in that.
Sitting around the table facing each other, I suppose that is what is important.

I will post all 10 rules again.

~ Kitakyushu City 10 Principles for Raising Children ~
1. Start the morning brightly with a smile and "Good morning"
2. Say "Thank you" and "I'm sorry"
to your family as well. 3. Parenting is about praising, scolding, watching over, and hugging.
4. When listening, look your child in the eye and listen with your heart.
5. Make mealtimes something to look forward to in your home. 6. Value
experiences over material things. 7. Parents should be the first to properly follow
social rules. 8. Reach out to
the treasures of our community, our children. 9. Teach them about
peace, life, and helping one another. 10. Talk about your dreams
with your children.

There were many things I reflected on while writing this.
I believe children grow through each moment while experiencing a variety of emotions.

There are times when I cannot give enough attention to every detail, but
by seeing phrases like these,
I want to keep them in mind little by little.

I have posted some related articles from the past here.
For families with children, I would especially like you to read the first one, 'Please come home safely'.
I would almost want to add it to the 10 Principles for Raising Children.

Thank you for reading again today.