The TV show “Old Enough” caused great controversy in Japan, where it aired. The storybook about the adventures of a boy named Miki, written by Yoriko Tsutsui in 1977, inspired the program. The history of the program goes back 30 years. Some of the parents in the episodes that aired in Japan this year were former child participants. A similar version of this format is currently being manufactured in the UK.
The importance of assigning age-appropriate responsibilities to children of different age groups is a situation suggested by experts. But what if we give more responsibility than we should? The children play the main roles in the program called “Old Enough”, which has been broadcast on Japanese television for 30 years. 20 children aged 2 to 6 try to accomplish different tasks. So much so that even toddlers try to complete the tasks given to them. These children go to the grocery store on their own, take their mother’s orders, take the bus home or bring lunch to their father. They cross the street alone in fast-moving traffic and do what they are told.
The contest, which has been on the air for years and is widely broadcast in Japan, has come under criticism in America and Europe. In the first episode, a little boy of around 3 years old, who still uses diapers, goes to a market less than 20 minutes walk away and buys 3 items that his mother wants. With the yellow flag in hand, the boy wants a busy road, crosses the street and goes to the market. He finds the 2 products his mother wants and pays for it, and when he sets out to go home, he remembers that he forgot the third ingredient and goes back to the market. He takes whatever his mother wants and goes home.
THE VIEW RATE IS VERY HIGH
In the Singaporean version of the program, another 5-year-old boy boards the train alone and travels for about 35 minutes. By following the announcements, he finds the stop to get off and fulfills his duty. During the filming of the show, there are people keeping the kids safe without being seen. However, some interpret this as an artificial perception of security. One of the viewers, who was concerned about the safety of children, “It is unclear how much the production team helped the little boy. At times the commentator seems to make fun of the actions of the child” commented. This program airs in Japan twice a year as special 3-hour episodes. It’s become such a phenomenon that it has an incredible 25% viewership rating.
FROM 6 YEARS OLD IN JAPAN
Some viewers also believe that such a responsibility is not too much in Japan. It is not uncommon here to see children of primary school age walking to school without adult supervision or taking public transport alone or in small groups. This is believed to be because families give children a sense of independence and responsibility from an early age. Children start cleaning their own school from the age of 6, take turns serving lunch to their classmates, and carrying heavy utensils and utensils to their classrooms. At this age, they can carry heavy bags on the way to school and pass through high traffic areas without their parents.
Australian pedagogue Liz Westrupp also sees sending a 2-year-old to market as an extreme example:
“It is absolutely impossible for a child of this age to have the mental capacity to choose the right path in a situation where something is wrong.”
Some experts say that when this kind of bring-and-take work is done with care, it’s one of a child’s first lessons. Experts say that it is a very proud thing for children to go alone to the market or to school at the age of primary school. “The more skillful children become, the more difficult the tasks can be. Parents adapt their tasks to the skills and size of the child, and each new task confirms and motivates the growing competence of the child. said.
Explain at what age and how to give responsibilities to children Nurdan Büyükak, psychologist, therapist for children and adolescentsStating that the time it takes for each child and each family to be ready and excited varies, he said:
“At 6 months, babies are ready to eat on their own when they transition to solid foods. This is their first responsibility. A child may pick up their own toys at 1 year, or they may be outside. 1 year old.” 3 years old. In general, children are ready to take on responsibilities from the age of 2-3 years. They can start by collecting their own toys. Then they can get involved in daily tasks such as dressing, packing his own things, doing the dirty work, unloading the washing machine, bringing the plates to the table.”
‘THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE FOR A CHILD OF THIS AGE’
Büyükak, for the broadcast program, “I don’t think it’s appropriate to take on so much responsibility at such a young age. Just as a child who does not take responsibility will grow up without many skills, children who take on too much responsibility will grow up with damage at the same rate. In one part of the program, the child does not want to do the task, cries and says he does not want to leave without his mother. The mother, on the other hand, says in a serious tone that she has to do this, that she needs him. He convinces the boy. A 3-year-old girl does her shopping away from home. For a child of this age, it is emotional abuse.” commented.
The children in the program are not alone in carrying out these tasks. There are 5-6 cameramen around him recording everything they do. Psychologist Nurdan Büyükak, who said that this is actually a situation that misleads the public, ‘my child can do this’ He pointed out that they can send their children alone and that is an extremely dangerous situation.
“There is a 7-8 year old child who still cannot eat his own food”
Büyükak also spoke of the existence of a problem created by the Turkish family structure regarding the allocation of responsibilities: “It is not appropriate to generalize, to say that all families are like that. However, when I look at the majority, I observe a family structure that gives very little responsibility to its child. So much so that 7-8 year olds still can’t eat their own food. They cannot groom and clean it. These are habits that should already be learned at that age,” he said.
Depending on the families participating in the program and how they are raising their children, “You could say that no parent should raise their child this way” Büyükak said, “There are cultural differences, of course, but child development works the same for all children. A 3-year-old child cannot protect himself from possible harm with his mental and physical abilities.