Parenting and Life

The other day, I attended a meeting between a parent and a teacher for a child I am responsible for at work.
I sat in on the session.

The parent said, 'What is the right way for a parent to interact with their child?'
They mentioned that even though they understand there is no right answer, they still find themselves searching for one.

They said that even after looking at various books, the internet, and other information,
they don't know what is right for their own child.

Because they don't know,
they end up wanting to solve the problems.
They said they find themselves seeking a correct answer or a solution.

They mentioned that in their own childhood, they lived without any hardships or worries,
did well, and had no problems at all.
They said that because they never felt those things, they couldn't understand.

They expressed regret, saying that they, as parents, had been pushing their child too hard,
and that they had provided the wrong kind of education.

They have consulted with a counselor, re-evaluated themselves,
and started trying a different approach,
but they don't know how far they should go or what the right balance is.
They are worried, wondering if this is truly the right path.

If there is a right answer, I really want to know it.
What should we do from here on out...?

The parent was putting their honest feelings into words.

That is truly the case.
There is no right answer to parenting.

No, not just in parenting,
there are no right answers in life either.

Because we don't know
what is good or bad.

When or how things will turn out?is something
no one knows.

Whether we can think of something as having been good
changes depending on how we perceive it.

How shall we connectwhat we have now?

How do we preserve and nurture the good parts without crushing them?

Parenting and life are surely the same.

There will come a time when you hit a wall.

It might be something small, or it might be something big.
In the life ahead, you will likely encounter several small waves and large waves.
You will meet a few.

Life is a repetition of that, and at those times, you think things over, re-evaluate, and gain various realizations and lessons.

That is how we spend our days, and through experiences and trials, we grow.
.

I felt that life and parenting were the same.

The meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere.

We talked about episodes from our childhoods and student days, and because I had experienced the struggles of parenting myself, I was able to empathize and share with the parents, and we were able to discuss various topics with smiles on our faces.

We will work together to build support, including how to spend time at home, details of our involvement from the new semester, and the environment surrounding the school and the parents.
I felt that a sense of team had been formed.

The parent asked me a direct question, as I had experienced something similar.

"How did you get through it?"

I honestly told them what I had felt at that time.

I braced myself and made a firm resolution! That.

I believed that this child would be okay and could do it! That.
I vowed that I would absolutely protect this child's unique strengths without crushing them! That.

I focused on this child's good qualities! That.
I took the long view and waited! That.

I trusted my child! That.

Even so,

Of course, my feelings would fluctuate. I felt like I was in a long tunnel with no light in sight. I would feel down, then rethink things, then try to pull myself together. It felt like a constant cycle of that.

Because my emotions were so volatile, fatigue and stress would build up. The harder part was figuring out how to keep myself balanced; that was my own challenge...

I talked to people and had them listen to me.

I spoke to the parents politely, of course, about how I had done those things.

The parents listened to my words, empathizing, nodding, and listening intently.

I don't know how my words were conveyed or how they were received, but

I put into words the feelings I held in my heart at that time.

I was able to feel something like pride in myself at the same time.

In my heart, I felt grateful that I had been able to put it into words.

Good and bad evaluations are subjective to each person.

One's own evaluation, one's own perspective.
Others' evaluations, others' perspectives.
Society's evaluation, society's perspective.

They are simply the standards and viewpoints that each person holds.

Instead of being bound by evaluations,
I want to have a wide variety of perspectives.

From there, I want to discover
my own values within myself.

Why is it that a straight, direct path feels so good?

Winding, curved roads, or
paths that take a long, wide detour,
have scenery that can only be seen there.

You might find a 🌷 there.
You might find a 🌱 there.
You might meet a 🐦‍⬛ there.

Just going straight ahead feels
like a bit of a waste, even.

Seriousness is important, but
wouldn't it be more enjoyable
if there were funny things, interesting things,
and things that are a little unusual?

That is what I think.

Maybe I'm an eccentric (lol).
People tell me I'm strange,
and they also tell me I'm serious.

What defines a person
cannot be told by just one thing.

Because there are many, and there are so many elements.

I want to avoid
deciding things based on just one aspect.

Summer vacation is coming to an end.

In the second semester, too, I want to nurture
manysmiles.

~At the end of summer~

..Thank you for reading..