Parenting Values We Should Treasure

Essential Parenting Principles from Age 0 to 6

These are crucial educational principles for raising a child from birth to age six.They relate to traditional wisdom such as:“Strike the iron while it’s hot” and“The soul of a three-year-old lasts until a hundred.”

■ From Birth to Age 1

1. Teach the existence of God (kami).Even if the child cannot understand language yet, gently speak to them about how everyone was born into this world with life granted by the divine through a sacred promise.

2. Visit the local guardian shrine (ujigami-sama) together.Go regularly (e.g., on the 1st and 15th of each month) to express gratitude.Tell the child, “We enter with our ancestors.”Without saying this, the ancestors from ancient times cannot pass through the torii gate.

3. Breastfeeding is the ultimate form of physical bonding.Skin-to-skin contact is deeply important. Even when bottle-feeding, do so with the same intention and closeness as breastfeeding.

4. Remove your mask at home when with your child.If they can’t see facial expressions, they may grow up with limited emotional development.

5. Include seasonal vegetables in weaning meals.Food is a divine blessing. Teach gratitude for rice from the fields and vegetables from the land.

6. Celebrate life events like shrine visits and ceremonial first meals (okuizome).These are moments to report to the kami your gratitude for the child’s safe growth and life received.

7. Child-rearing is done together with the whole family and community.Ideally, include elders in the process. Having grandparents or great-grandparents helps, as they bring both wisdom and calm.

■ From Age 1 to 3

1. Teach greetings.First to the divine, then ancestors, and finally to family (father, mother, siblings in order).

2. Nurture gratitude and compassion.All life—your own, others’, plants, and animals—is irreplaceable.Understanding this fosters empathy and appreciation.

3. Teach the importance of replying.Responding is essential for mutual understanding and communication.

4. Foster the ability to listen.Let children experience the joyful cycle:Listening → Understanding → Learning → Fun → Curiosity → More Listening.

5. Don’t overlook your child’s interests.Notice what fascinates them and respect it.Encourage and nurture it through a variety of experiences.

6. Use questions effectively: “Why?” “How?” “What if…?”Ask open-ended questions based on their comments to prompt their own thinking.

7. Be clear and specific when disciplining.Never attack their personality.Children who develop complexes may grow passive and hinder their growth.Always follow correction with encouragement: “I know you can do it!”

8. Let them experience real things.Show them living animals, actual vehicles—not just pictures.Take them to real farms and rice fields.Hands-on experiences using their five senses deepen their learning and development.

■ From Age 4 to 6

1. Properly teach about Shinto and Buddhist practices.All living beings, including humans, are children of the divine.Teach them to bow before the Buddhist altar daily in gratitude to their ancestors.

2. Teach self-restraint.Learning to wait and endure helps children mature and become emotionally rich.

3. Nurture emotional roots.Developing inner strength fosters patience and resilience—the foundations of the power to live.

4. Expand their skills and strengths.Build confidence and motivation by steadily increasing what they can do and what they’re good at.

5. Raise them with praise.Praise even the small accomplishments.This cultivates ambition and emotional richness.

6. Teach societal rules and responsibility.Help them understand that everything is their own responsibility.Teach rules such as taking turns and behaving with respect in social settings.