Japanese Style Parenting: "People will laugh at you."

(This is part of my sharing, which I learn about Japanese society in the class of “Civilization and Culture of Japan.”)

When children misbehave in Japan, parents usually say, “People will laugh at you,” instead of saying, “You should not do that.” Mothers say to misbehaved child “People will laugh at you,” is one of the Japanese mothers’ child bearing ways, which is called - Kimochi-shugi – a feeling based way of thinking, defining it as “the tendency to put importance on other people’s feeling, or to try to be sympathetic to other people’s feelings and perceive their intentions.” (The Japanese Mind - Page 136/7)

Every coin has two sides. Because of Kimochi-shugi child bearing style, the effective on children’s moral education could have both of positive and negative ways.

Positive ways:
- They get team spirit.
- They know how to be harmony with the society.
- They have one of good experience minds to have in human beings, that – “Empathy,” which is good for the other parties.
- It will create to be successful in group works.

Negative ways:
- They become dependent, instead of the way to be independent.
- It creates lack of self - confidence.
- Acceptance of unclear things and uncertain results.
- Encourage to practice unthinking obedience.

Picture: http://www.carebearsteam.org/tours_breakdown/tours/tour_images/86_japan_tour/5-86japanese_children.jpg