What effect does growing up involved with the community have on a child’s development? We spoke with Kenichiro Watanabe, a professor at Nihon Fukushi University and author of numerous books on community child-rearing support.

It is a human characteristic that non-parents raise children.

　Before considering the importance of community child care, it is important to know that child care has not always been conducted solely in the home to begin with.

　In zoology and other studies, the term “aromatization” refers to the nurturing of offspring by a person other than the mother, and humans are an animal in which this aromatization is well developed. It has been reported that it is found in only a few species of mammals, and it can be said to be one of the characteristics of humans. Compared to other animals, human parenting is a long-term process that requires enormous effort and time. That is why it is impossible for mothers to raise children alone; fathers must participate in child rearing, and cooperation from relatives and the community is necessary. In today’s society, it can be said that it is only natural that child-rearing support services from the community and government are necessary.

Today, child rearing is concentrated only on the family.

　In the past, Japanese society did not have services such as temporary childcare, but grandparents and friends in the community took care of children. Of course, in addition to this, local people also played a part in aromatizing the children, such as helping with child discipline and sharing their experiences of child rearing with parents. However, as the nuclear family has progressed, the relationship with the local community has become less and less. The symbolic presence of this trend is symbolized by Tokyo and other large cities.

　For children to grow up healthy, they need both a “safe base” and a “place to stay” to protect them and to encourage their independence. In the past, these functions were shared not only by the family, but also by relatives and the local community. However, in today’s nuclear families, which are separated from the community, both of these functions have come to be performed exclusively by the parents. As a result, child rearing has tended to lean toward excessive protection of children.

　A child who has been raised to be over-protected will do what he or she can in a protective environment rather than taking risks and challenging oneself. For example, a child whose parents have always emphasized “do as you are told” may be able to listen diligently in school, but may not be assertive enough, and may end up listening to adults rather than acting on his or her own initiative. As the saying goes, “Let the cute kid take the trip.” In order to encourage children to become independent, it is necessary to encourage them to think and act on their own and to push them into new environments.

Interact with a diverse group of people in the community

　So what can we do about it? First, it is important for both fathers and mothers to participate in childcare, so that one or the other does not have the job of “raising children. Then, send the children out into the community.

　In the community, there are a diverse range of people of different ages and in different positions. There are people in the community who volunteer at child-rearing plazas and after-school children’s classes, and at child-rearing support centers and children’s centers, children can meet not only their peers of the same age, but also children of different ages.

　By getting involved with the community, children learn that society is made up of diverse people and develop their social skills. They learn how to deal with people of different generations and different ways of thinking. This social awareness leads to the ability to work in organizations and groups in the future, and to adapt to different environments. The community plays an important role in helping children develop resilience.