Middle School Entrance Exams in the Countryside: "No one else is taking them, what should I do?"

Hello, this is NOA!
The theme for this time is
the state of mind of a mother whose daughter is
taking on middle school entrance exams in the countrysideabout

Winter break has begun,
and the actual exams are finally drawing near.
Having run through this with my child,
the struggles and challenges unique to the countryside,
I would like to write about my feelings as a parent.

When you hear "middle school entrance exams,"
the image of city children
being chased by cram schools and mock examscomes to mind.

However, in the countryside, to begin with,
hardly any children take middle school entrance exams.
In my second daughter's grade, too,the reality is that the smartest kid isn't taking them.
It's an environment where only the children of doctors
tend to take on the challenge (⌒∇⌒)

Where is the source of information? The lonely battle of a country mom

There are truly very few families in the countryside
considering middle school entrance exams,
so you need to be a bit creative in gathering information.

I was also relying on the internet and
social media to look for information,
but recently, I had the opportunity to talk to
a mother who is "having her child take middle school entrance exams."

It was our first time meeting, but
before I knew it,we had talked for over an hour!For someone like me who doesn't usually have mom friends,
this conversation was a very fresh and happy time.

・"The smart kids aren't going to cram school"
・"Points for choosing a cram school"
・"About mock exams," etc.
While listening to various stories,
I was able to gain a lot of new knowledge
and touch upon a world
I didn't know about.

While talking, what I felt once again was that
in the countryside, while there aren't as many choices
as in the city,
there is the joy of [carefully choosing each one,
]and [researching and improvising on your own].

Certainly,there are few cram schoolsor
the mock exam venues are far away,and there are things that aren't easy,
but in the process of overcoming them,
there are small discoveries and joys.

Why middle school entrance exams? The struggles and determination of a country mom

I myself am the daughter of a dairy farmer in the deep countryside.
"Women should be charming, and studies are fine in moderation"is how I was raised,
but after my children were born,
I began to have doubts about that way of thinking.

"This way of thinking,
doesn't it not fit the current era?"
I began to feel that way.

There are various pros and cons
to middle school entrance exams in the world,
but in my case,
it is a challenge precisely becausemy daughter is"reasonably smart."
Honestly,it's at the level of taking a long shot.😊

Until deciding on middle school entrance exams,
there were many discussions between my husband and me.
My husband was in the camp that said,"Isn't the local middle school enough?"but I thought,

"I want to broaden the paths she can choose."

In the end,
my second daughter's"I'll give it a try!"words
were the deciding factor.

The pressure on a country mom! What if she fails?

The countryside community is small, so
if you start something, it spreads immediately.

Moms who have their children take middle school entrance exams
are often recognized by neighbors
as an 'exam mom'Before you know it, neighbors might ask you


'Are you studying hard?'and offer warm encouragement.While I am grateful for the support,
at the same time,


'What if they fail...'I also keenly feel the pressure of that thought.

If she succeeds, she might be called 'the star of the countryside!'but
I don't even want to imagine the awkwardness
if she fails.

(￣∇￣;) Hahaha

Amidst such pressure,
what becomes my emotional support ismy daughter's own efforts.Since winter break started,

I am even moved by the sight of my daughterat her desk from early in the morning.Of course,

sometimes
she slacks off too,but (laughs),reviewing the schedule we made together as parent and child
and the feeling that we are moving forward little by little
eases the pressure.

Conclusion: There are things you can only gain because you are in the countryside.

What I think through the middle school entrance exam process is
that the countryside has its own unique
benefits.

Refreshing ourselves in a nature-rich environmentor
the warm support from those around us.
Of course, there is a lack of information and inconvenience in travel,
but perhaps that is exactly why the strength to improvise
and support each other as parent and child is nurtured.

Whatever the result of my daughter's challenge may be,as a parent,
I want to watch over the process closely
and continue to support her.

Now, will my second daughter
become 'the star of the countryside'?Or will she carve out a new path?
I will report the results here again!