My Realization About Middle School Entrance Exams, Which I Thought Were 'Optional'

My second son has a very bright and energetic personality at home.
On the other hand, he is a bit cautious and sensitive when he is outside.

Regarding his studies, he is not so much someone who hates them, but rather
someone with a strong sense of inadequacy.

He doesn't often get 100% on school tests either.

When he was in kindergarten, I had him attend Kumon for Japanese, but
it didn't suit him, so he quit after about a year.

After that, my eldest son had his middle school entrance exams, and
my second son inevitably tended to be put on the back burner in our household.

Before I knew it,
the time he spent on games and YouTube increased,
and his life became distant from studying.

Once my eldest son's middle school entrance exams were over and life had settled down,
I thought, 'Let's take a look at my second son's current ability,' and
he took the Zento-sho (National Elementary School Exam).

When I saw the results, I was honestly speechless.

But at the same time,
I also had several realizations.

Things I realized from this test

1. He might not be 'bad at studying,' he just might not have had the opportunity to face it.

The things he had avoided and put off
might have simply shown up in the numbers.

2. Middle school entrance exams serve as a 'trigger for thinking,' regardless of whether you take them or not.

I have no intention of forcing him to take exams.
Even so, by taking the Zento-sho,
I felt that the words 'middle school entrance exam' remained in my second son's mind.

3. Children are watching their surroundings more than parents realize.

Since the venue was the cram school my eldest son attended,
it might have been a time for my second son
to be just a little bit conscious of the 'older brother's world.'

In our home, even now,
we think middle school entrance exams are 'optional.'

There is no need to force a child who struggles with studying
to choose a difficult path.

That feeling has not changed.

However,
not making a choice while knowing nothing
I have come to want to value this above all else.