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2001年2月9日付論説
カナダに住む筆者のめいは、自分でお金を稼ぎ、
航空券の手配もして、来日した。
それを知った日本の大人たちは、
「たった12歳なのにそんなことができるとは…」と
驚いていたが、親が機会さえ与えれば
日本の子供も同じことができるのではないだろうか。
Elephants On a Rampage
By JOHN GATHRIGHT
Almost six weeks ago my 12- year-old niece Bailey arrived in Japan for a vacation. She baby-sat, did
house cleaning and even delivered newspapers to earn her flight fare. She contacted the school to get
her homework assignments and made her own travel arrangements and passport preparations.
Although my family is all very proud of her, we weren't surprised by her efforts or success. But, as
parents living in Japan, the reactions of other Japanese parents to her accomplishments have been a
real eye-opener for us. Everywhere we go, Japanese parents seem to go to great pains to compare her
with their own children. Sometimes to extremes, even putting down
their own kids in front of Bailey.
"Wow, she is only 12 and she came to Japan all by herself! My daughter could never do that! She can't
even get to school by herself."
We took her to a local school and the principal announced that none of his kids could ever do what
she did. I appreciated their comments, but they seemed to have the opposite effect on Bailey and the
other children.
Bailey is a wonderful girl, but the constant comparison of Japanese and Canadian preteen maturity
started to annoy her. The other night she blurted out, "Why do all these people say that Japanese
12-year-olds can't do what I did!? Anyone can. I haven't done anything special."
As a parent, her words hit home. I couldn't help but agree. What she was saying is that parents
have the power to create self-fulfilling prophecies for our children.
I recalled the huge elephants used for labor that I saw in India. When not being forced to carry
goods and tourists, these elephants were tied up with flimsy rope to feeble poles.
Our guide explained, "To truly make a pole and chain strong enough to hold back an elephant is very
expensive and time-consuming, so a mental chain is created."
He told us that when the elephant is still very small, a rope is fastened to them. No matter how
hard the young elephant pulls on the rope and pole, it doesn't have the strength to break it. After a
while, the elephant gives up and stops trying to test its strength against the rope. In its mind the rope
is impossible to break! Even though it grows to a great size and has the strength to break ropes and
chains many times stronger, it doesn't even try. It is not the flimsy pole and weak rope that holds it
back, it is the mental chain that keeps it a prisoner.
Don't they sometimes get angry and break free? Our guide answered, "Sometimes something just
snaps and all of a sudden they go berserk. Then they go on a rampage and they have to be shot! It is
sad!"
If adults are pessimistic about the abilities of youth and don't create opportunities for them to
challenge themselves, then are we not creating mental chains that imprison children with low
self-confidence, low self- pride and low self-worth? It is often said that low self-esteem is a breeding ground for violence.
As parents and teachers, let's encourage our children to travel, work part-time jobs, test their
abilities and tear away mental chains in a positive way. I wonder if the recent escalation of teenage
violence is not similar to elephants on a rampage. If children cannot find positive ways to break free,
they may find other ways.
Almost six weeks ago my 12- year-old niece Bailey arrived in Japan for a vacation. She baby-sat, did
house cleaning and even delivered newspapers to earn her flight fare. She contacted the school to get
her homework assignments and made her own travel arrangements and passport preparations.
Although my family is all very proud of her, we weren't surprised by her efforts or success. But, as
parents living in Japan, the reactions of other Japanese parents to her accomplishments have been a
real eye-opener for us. Everywhere we go, Japanese parents seem to go to great pains to compare her
with their own children. Sometimes to extremes, even putting down
their own kids in front of Bailey.
"Wow, she is only 12 and she came to Japan all by herself! My daughter could never do that! She can't
even get to school by herself."
We took her to a local school and the principal announced that none of his kids could ever do what
she did. I appreciated their comments, but they seemed to have the opposite effect on Bailey and the
other children.
Bailey is a wonderful girl, but the constant comparison of Japanese and Canadian preteen maturity
started to annoy her. The other night she blurted out, "Why do all these people say that Japanese
12-year-olds can't do what I did!? Anyone can. I haven't done anything special."
As a parent, her words hit home. I couldn't help but agree. What she was saying is that parents
have the power to create self-fulfilling prophecies for our children.
I recalled the huge elephants used for labor that I saw in India. When not being forced to carry
goods and tourists, these elephants were tied up with flimsy rope to feeble poles.
Our guide explained, "To truly make a pole and chain strong enough to hold back an elephant is very
expensive and time-consuming, so a mental chain is created."
He told us that when the elephant is still very small, a rope is fastened to them. No matter how
hard the young elephant pulls on the rope and pole, it doesn't have the strength to break it. After a
while, the elephant gives up and stops trying to test its strength against the rope. In its mind the rope
is impossible to break! Even though it grows to a great size and has the strength to break ropes and
chains many times stronger, it doesn't even try. It is not the flimsy pole and weak rope that holds it
back, it is the mental chain that keeps it a prisoner.
Don't they sometimes get angry and break free? Our guide answered, "Sometimes something just
snaps and all of a sudden they go berserk. Then they go on a rampage and they have to be shot! It is
sad!"
If adults are pessimistic about the abilities of youth and don't create opportunities for them to
challenge themselves, then are we not creating mental chains that imprison children with low
self-confidence, low self- pride and low self-worth? It is often said that low self-esteem is a breeding ground for violence.
As parents and teachers, let's encourage our children to travel, work part-time jobs, test their
abilities and tear away mental chains in a positive way. I wonder if the recent escalation of teenage
violence is not similar to elephants on a rampage. If children cannot find positive ways to break free,
they may find other ways.
Shukan ST: Feb. 9, 2001
(C) All rights reserved
chu.htm
- 〜 on a rampage
- 暴れ回る 〜
- niece
- めい
- baby-sat
- 子守りをした
- flight fare
- 航空運賃
- get her homework assignments
- 宿題をもらっておく
- accomplishments
- 成し遂げたこと
- eye-opener
- 驚くべきこと
- go to great pains to 〜
- やっきになって 〜 する
- to extremes
- 極端に
- putting down 〜 in front of 〜
- 〜 の前で 〜 をけなす
- principal
- 校長
- appreciated
- ありがたく思った
- seemed to have the opposite effect on 〜
- 〜 には逆効果だったようだ
- preteen maturity
- 思春期直前の子供(10 〜 12歳)の成熟度
- annoy
- いらだたせる
- blurted out
- 出し抜けに言い出した
- hit home
- 胸を突いた
- couldn't help but 〜
- 〜 せずにはいられなかった
- self-fulfilling prophecies
- そのとおりになってしまう予言
- recalled
- 思い出した
- elephants used for labor
- 労力として飼われている象
- flimsy
- もろい
- feeble
- 頼りない
- hold back
- 制する
- time-consuming
- 時間がかかる
- is fastened to 〜
- 〜 に結びつけられる
- No matter how 〜
- いくら 〜 しても
- keeps it a prisoner
- とらわれの身にしておく
- break free
- 自由になる
- snaps
- ぷっつり切れる
- go berserk
- 暴れ出す
- pessimistic
- 悲観的な
- imprison
- 拘束する
- self-worth
- 自尊心
- breeding ground
- 温床
- tear away
- 引きちぎる
- recent escalation of 〜
- 最近の 〜 の増大