The day I felt my eldest son's growth when he got a 90 for the first time

My eldest son came home after getting a 90 on his first test.

The moment we saw the answer sheet,
our family couldn't help but say,

"That's amazing!"

we called out.

Now that he's in elementary school,
he's finally started taking tests that are graded.

Thinking about that,
I felt a mix of happiness and a little bit of sadness,
an indescribable feeling.

Just a little while ago,
I was moved just by him reading hiragana.

I had just felt "he's grown up so much"
seeing him with his backpack on.

Now he's already taking tests at school,
and bringing home graded papers.

Just that fact alone,
made my spouse and me feel deeply touched.

My eldest son looked a little frustrated.

However, my son himself,
wasn't as happy as we thought he would be.

90.

From a parent's perspective, it's a great score.

But for my son,
perhaps he was bothered by the parts he got wrong,
and he seemed a bit frustrated.

Seeing that expression,
our family felt his growth in a different way.

Receiving a score,
and feeling for himself what he could and couldn't do.

Feeling frustrated,
about the things he got wrong.

That is surely,
more than just taking a test,
it means my son's heart is also growing little by little.

I want to focus on his feelings rather than the score.

From here on out,
I think there will be more opportunities to see test scores.

There might be days with 100 points.
There might also be days when the score isn't what he hoped for.

Each time that happens, as a parent,
I want to make sure I don't react too much to the score alone.

Of course, it is also important to celebrate the results together.

But more than that,
I want to properly observe
how my eldest son felt.

Was he happy?
Was he frustrated?
Did he feel like he wanted to try again?

I felt that,
that is where a child's growth lies.

I was happy we could see it as a family

I also talked with his dad while looking at the answer sheet.

"90 points is amazing."
"But he looked frustrated, didn't he?"
"Being able to feel that way is also growth."

While having that conversation,
our family thought about it once again.

Managing the household budget,
choosing parental leave or shorter working hours,
and trying to organize our lives,

might be because we want to accept these small moments of growth
together as a couple.

Test scores.
A slightly frustrated look.
The time we spend as a couple talking about that.

None of these are major events, but
for our family,
this was a family moment that can only happen now.

What the 90-point answer sheet taught me

Of course, I was happy with the number 90.

But what stayed in my heart this time,
more than the score itself,
was my eldest son's slightly frustrated expression.

Children grow up much faster than parents think.

And,
they gradually become able to feel both
happiness and frustration within themselves.

In the midst of our busy daily lives,
there are small moments of growth that we might easily overlook.

But I thought that I want to stop and take the time,
to really see them properly.

His first test score of 90.

For our family,
it has become a memory I don't want to forget,
where I truly felt my eldest son's growth.

Thank you for reading until the end.

I will continue to write about our family's real-life experiences,
regarding our children's growth, family time,
and the financial anxieties that come with raising children.

I would be happy if you could give me a like or follow.
I also share about our daily household budget management and family time on Instagram, which is linked in my profile.

This is an article introducing the new extracurricular activities our children have started↓↓↓