What I Realized During 'Ran-katsu': My Daughter's 'This Is the One' and My Own Feelings

I thought that when choosing a school bag,
while my daughter's feelings were important, parents also needed to have some say in the selection.

It should be light.
It should be comfortable to carry.
Especially since she is smaller than other children her age.

I thought that parents should line up the 'correct' options,
and she would choose from among them.

When the school bag hunt began,
I started collecting catalogs.

My daughter is a little smaller than her peers.
So, naturally,
I looked at them with 'lightness' as my criteria.

I wondered what kind of school bag she would say she wanted.
Thinking that, I showed her the catalogs.

The school bag my daughter chose was a bit heavy.

What my daughter chose was
a light blue school bag with beautiful embroidery.

'This is the one!'

I watched her with a smile, thinking she had good taste.

But then, it suddenly hit me.

The school bag she wanted was a bit heavy.

There was another one in the same light blue color
that was a little lighter.

'This one is lighter, you know.'

That's how I tried to steer her choice.

A parent's anxiety and a daughter's 'This is the one'

But my daughter didn't waver.

'I really want this school bag.'

She held firmly onto
the one she had chosen for herself from the start.

She's the one who will be carrying it for six years,
so I understand that feeling.

But honestly, I was conflicted.

Is this really okay?
Won't it be hard for her to carry it?

The 'correct' choice as a parent
and what my daughter liked were a little out of sync.

My daughter's feelings didn't change even at the exhibition

We went to the exhibition just like that.

Surrounded by colorful school bags,
my daughter's eyes were sparkling.

I thought maybe,
her feelings might change to a color other than light blue.

I watched her with that in mind, but she went straight to the light blue school bag.

'This one, this one! This is the one!'

It was indeed the same light blue school bag she had chosen from the catalog.

The day I laughed at 'I'll train for it, so it's okay!'

We actually put the same weight as textbooks inside and she tried it on.

It did look a little heavy.

'Isn't it heavy?'

When I asked her that,

'I'll train for it, so it's okay! This is the one!'

I couldn't help but laugh at those words.

I realized that she wanted it
enough to say something like that.

We still plan to look at other manufacturers,
so we didn't decide on the spot.

But I realized something clearly.

I had been trying to make her choose the 'correct' one
all along.

But my daughter was valuing what she liked.

Valuing the child's preference over the parent's 'correct' choice

I'm not the one who will be using the school bag.
It's my daughter who will be carrying it for six years.

So, in the end, what's important
is surely this.

Valuing the child's choice
over the parent's 'correct' choice.

The school bag hunt is still ongoing, but I feel like I've already decided how to choose.

Thank you for reading this far.
May your day be a wonderful one.