What is the role of a parent?

What exactly is the role of a parent?

I suddenly felt like thinking about that.

If I had to sum up the role of a parent in one phrase...

For me, it would be...

"Ensuring a child's safety and drawing out their potential"

That is how I would answer!

The words alone might sound shallow,

but when you understand the meaning and explore the essence,

this is where I arrive!

◆ "A child's safety"

A place to rest both mind and body!
For a child to feel they can be at ease
For a child to feel they are protected

It is not about the parent thinking they are doing this, but rather,
whether the child actually feels that way! It is safety from the child's perspective!

If they do not feel safe, they cannot open their hearts.
If they close their hearts, a relationship of trust is difficult...
If there is no safe place nearby,
then anxiety will surely follow...

Safety does not mean
preventing them from doing dangerous things.

When there is something dangerous, parents often step in and stop them beforehand.
That is nothing more than protecting the parent's own feelings of anxiety.

What is dangerous,
how the child thinks about it,
their own feelings and adaptability to society regarding dangerous things,
and thinking for themselves how to find a compromise there,

that is something the child must do themselves!

Parents should provide

a place where the child can think,
a place where they are respected.

Conveying things they don't know or understand.

Conveying various perspectives.

Running alongside them and thinking about the direction together.

Isn't that what it's all about...

For a parent to block their child and decide their path for them,

means something different for safety!

The fact that the individual child is protected

is what we should consider as "child safety"!

The fact that the child can feel that,

is the same as the child acquiring a "sense of basic trust"!

◆ "Bringing out the child's potential"

A child's potential is unknown!

Being able to watch over a child's potential
Being able to believe in the child

Instead of the parent deciding the values,

how the child perceives things!

It is not the parent, but the child themselves who brings out their own potential!

If a parent decides things for them in advance, how will the child perceive that...
Will they be able to believe in their own potential...

Will they be able to experience a sense of self-efficacy...
Will they be able to think about taking on challenges toward what they want to do...

How will they feel about their own challenges, and how will they be able to learn from them...
What will they learn from their failures and successes...

The parent's demeanor before, during, and after an action is important!
Children are greatly influenced by their parents' words and feelings.
Whether a child thrives or falters is deeply related to how a parent interacts with them.

Parents who try to stop their children from feeling embarrassed or failing.
That is merely because the parents themselves cannot accept the negativity they harbor.

If a parent becomes anxious, the child will likely feel anxious about their own confidence as well.

If a child is blamed by their parent when they fail, they will likely feel self-denial or self-reproach.

I feel that the words parents cast toward their children are important.

Self-affirmation, self-efficacy,

To cultivate self-esteem,

a parent's attentive attitude is indispensable!

This is how I think about the meaning of bringing out a child's potential.

It is easy to talk about ideals and put them into words, but difficult to put them into practice.
However, through raising children, that is how I have felt and how I have acted.

The ultimate goal is to cultivate the power to live

The goal for that is to become independent

What parents can do for that is

To ensure the child's safety and bring out their potential

I can believe in myself!

I want to be a parent who can raise such a child✨