Took my daughter to Precure event in Ikebukuro today, while my husband took our son for male bonding. I knew what I was getting into by visiting such cash cow event, I told my daughter that we were going to see and play, not a shopping. She seemed to understand that. So, off course the venue was already crowded at 10:00 a.m, and the cartoon related toys and goods and all kinds of stuff here and there. And I noticed that the most of the parents were following where their kids went, and money was flowing everywhere.
They had an appearance show that the 3 Precure girls in full body suit sang and danced, and after the show, they had an encounter event to shake hands with them. Off course it was not free. You were entitled to line up to it if you purchased at least one of the goods they offered in the back of the stage ranged from JPY500 to JPY2,000. Interestingly, quite a number of a parent or parents were buying those without even asking their own kids if they wanted it or even which one. Maybe their logical circuit was set so that they, without even thinking, were ought to buy it so that their kids should be able to meet huge body suit characters, without a trouble. Some mom even left her daughter alone among the crowd to buy it, found out her daughter was crying so hard realizing her own mom disappeared, and some other dad near by thought that girl was a stray. Ah, her MOM was so desperate to get that goods...
At the game machine area, there was a family with 2 girls who jumped over to a particular one which required some game cards to play. The parents following them pulled out the wallet and immediately inserted the money, not even saying anything. So generous. I wonder if kids appreciated such their parents' action, or simply took it for granted. I overheard the other mom said to her daughter that she didn't have to wait in line to play a new game if they would buy it so she could play at home. That's too easy, isn't it?
I, on the other hand, kept reminding my girl that we were here to see and play, not to buy. Every time she said to me she wanted to do something, for example, a short 3D theater movie, then I said to her that it was costing money JPY500 per person, plus waiting time of 30 min. She wanted to try a photo shoot in Precure costume, I said her it was costing money plus look at the looong line of people waiting for hours. Surely she was demotivated and moved on to the other FREE stuff.
Although one thing she really wanted to try, and agreed that would be the only thing she could do was to paint Precure face to make a plastic sheet. I explained her that it was her choice of the day and I would not help her at all because that was what she wanted badly. She agreed. So, there I was, just watching my daughter messing up colors and what not despite of the sample photo they put out on the working table, I started watching the other families. And I, again, noticed that there were so many parents helping, or even mainly working on the coloring, which made their kids looked bored. They were working so hard, try to color exactly the same as the sample, clean up the paint run off borders. One girl had mom and dad on the both of her sides hovering, caring if their daughter was not making any mistakes. Some of the moms around us looked horrified that my daughter painted a face of Precure green. She was totally happy with the results despite of the green and yellow mixed face with some missing areas, and very satisfied which made me also happy that she could do everything by herself and made accomplishment.
Doing the same as the others and exactly as instructed are the product of Japanese education and custom of our culture, although that is not what made me wonder today. Spoiling kids by trying not to let them confront the difficulties, and prepare everything for them must not be a good thing for them in long run. When a girl's mom took over her project of painting because she was not painting it correctly, she must have lost her motivation to keep painting. If the girls want to buy Louis Vuitton handbags, do they expect someone magically appear and pay for these?
I‘m convinced that those parents were simply looking for their kids' happiness, and off course my daughter's happiness is my great joy, too. Although, my question is if their goal is the same as mine but the process is too convenient to them. They don't want to see their kids to make mistakes they help too much, which results their kids having a lot less opportunities in every degree. They're still too young don't expect them to color perfectly within the line. Let them wait in line to get what they want. Don't buy stuff just to shut up your crying kid. Don't you think they'll eventually be on their own...? Or do you mistakenly think you're needed and fulfilled when your kid asks for money...?? They'll eventually take over your life because of lack of experience in the early age, and you'll be still ripped off, probably unconsciously, yet willingly, thinking it would help their kids...
They had an appearance show that the 3 Precure girls in full body suit sang and danced, and after the show, they had an encounter event to shake hands with them. Off course it was not free. You were entitled to line up to it if you purchased at least one of the goods they offered in the back of the stage ranged from JPY500 to JPY2,000. Interestingly, quite a number of a parent or parents were buying those without even asking their own kids if they wanted it or even which one. Maybe their logical circuit was set so that they, without even thinking, were ought to buy it so that their kids should be able to meet huge body suit characters, without a trouble. Some mom even left her daughter alone among the crowd to buy it, found out her daughter was crying so hard realizing her own mom disappeared, and some other dad near by thought that girl was a stray. Ah, her MOM was so desperate to get that goods...
At the game machine area, there was a family with 2 girls who jumped over to a particular one which required some game cards to play. The parents following them pulled out the wallet and immediately inserted the money, not even saying anything. So generous. I wonder if kids appreciated such their parents' action, or simply took it for granted. I overheard the other mom said to her daughter that she didn't have to wait in line to play a new game if they would buy it so she could play at home. That's too easy, isn't it?
I, on the other hand, kept reminding my girl that we were here to see and play, not to buy. Every time she said to me she wanted to do something, for example, a short 3D theater movie, then I said to her that it was costing money JPY500 per person, plus waiting time of 30 min. She wanted to try a photo shoot in Precure costume, I said her it was costing money plus look at the looong line of people waiting for hours. Surely she was demotivated and moved on to the other FREE stuff.
Although one thing she really wanted to try, and agreed that would be the only thing she could do was to paint Precure face to make a plastic sheet. I explained her that it was her choice of the day and I would not help her at all because that was what she wanted badly. She agreed. So, there I was, just watching my daughter messing up colors and what not despite of the sample photo they put out on the working table, I started watching the other families. And I, again, noticed that there were so many parents helping, or even mainly working on the coloring, which made their kids looked bored. They were working so hard, try to color exactly the same as the sample, clean up the paint run off borders. One girl had mom and dad on the both of her sides hovering, caring if their daughter was not making any mistakes. Some of the moms around us looked horrified that my daughter painted a face of Precure green. She was totally happy with the results despite of the green and yellow mixed face with some missing areas, and very satisfied which made me also happy that she could do everything by herself and made accomplishment.
Doing the same as the others and exactly as instructed are the product of Japanese education and custom of our culture, although that is not what made me wonder today. Spoiling kids by trying not to let them confront the difficulties, and prepare everything for them must not be a good thing for them in long run. When a girl's mom took over her project of painting because she was not painting it correctly, she must have lost her motivation to keep painting. If the girls want to buy Louis Vuitton handbags, do they expect someone magically appear and pay for these?
I‘m convinced that those parents were simply looking for their kids' happiness, and off course my daughter's happiness is my great joy, too. Although, my question is if their goal is the same as mine but the process is too convenient to them. They don't want to see their kids to make mistakes they help too much, which results their kids having a lot less opportunities in every degree. They're still too young don't expect them to color perfectly within the line. Let them wait in line to get what they want. Don't buy stuff just to shut up your crying kid. Don't you think they'll eventually be on their own...? Or do you mistakenly think you're needed and fulfilled when your kid asks for money...?? They'll eventually take over your life because of lack of experience in the early age, and you'll be still ripped off, probably unconsciously, yet willingly, thinking it would help their kids...
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