Pandemic prevention measures turn Japanese families' worlds upside down

musicisgood · 21 Apr 2020

So the journalist probably doesn't like kids or worst yet doesn't want kids. What I found interesting was all the negative in the first part of the story and then the only positive part was at the end of the story. But from my own experience, I don't think Japanese praise people too much in this society.

I have to make his lunch . Well isn't that what parents supposed to do?
I can't concentrate on my work. Oh, so work is more important then spending valuable time with your child...
The stress is building up . How about play time with "real" games, like monopoly and scrabble .
14 percent of children in Japan — or 1 in every 7 — live below the poverty line . I see this in the poor fishing villages, but I always see nice cars in the driveway.
50 percent of single-parent families in Japan are living in poverty . I bet this is so true in all large cities these days here in Japan.

Well, its tough times for everyone here. Try having a business for 30 years and then having to close the doors all of a sudden. Millions of us in Japan have now faced this. And what is so funny is that the govt. said they are expecting about 1 million to be unemployed. Talking about down playing this event...

Pandemic prevention measures turn Japanese families’ worlds upside down

With many schools closed until early May, families are struggling to juggle the needs of young children with remote work responsibilities.

www.japantimes.co.jp

Mark of Zorro · 21 Apr 2020

musicisgood said:
So the journalist probably doesn't like kids or worst yet doesn't want kids. What I found interesting was all the negative in the first part of the story and then the only positive part was at the end of the story. But from my own experience, I don't think Japanese praise people too much in this society.

Did not read the article slowly and carefully, but I find your negativity disturbing.

Change, especially sudden change, in lifestyle and routine is very stressful. Plus, all of them may be adapting to working at home already, which can be extremely difficult and frustrating with lots of unexpected pitfalls. I tried to do a video class using Line. The video kept freezing and the audio also went wonky. FAIL.

And all the while, now they to multitask too? She has to do her job AND take care of her young son? That would be murder.

I could see your opinion if she or they were just a stay at home Mom...which IS a full time job in itself. So she has her other full time job, or even part time for another which pays the bills and puts food in that kid's mouth AND she has the new full time job of being a stay at home Mom with not just school cancelled but his extra-curricular activities as well. Plus he/they probably cannot even visit friends if the new rules/requests are taken into account. AND its Tokyo area mostly, so likely a small apartment and nowhere for the kid(s) to go. When I was a kid in the country nobody saw me when I was "at home" anyway because I was in the woods all day only coming back for food and drink until dusk.

Maybe you thought she was Wonder Woman? I don't know.

If she jumps off her balcony from the 20th floor can she get some sympathy maybe?

And moving on anyone with 3 small boys has my immediate sympathy already.

musicisgood · 21 Apr 2020

Mark of Zorro said:
Did not read the article slowly and carefully, but I find your negativity disturbing.

Change, especially sudden change, in lifestyle and routine is very stressful. Plus, all of them may be adapting to working at home already, which can be extremely difficult and frustrating with lots of unexpected pitfalls. I tried to do a video class using Line. The video kept freezing and the audio also went wonky. FAIL.

And all the while, now they to multitask too? She has to do her job AND take care of her young son? That would be murder.

I could see your opinion if she or they were just a stay at home Mom...which IS a full time job in itself. So she has her other full time job, or even part time for another which pays the bills and puts food in that kid's mouth AND she has the new full time job of being a stay at home Mom with not just school cancelled but his extra-curricular activities as well. Plus he/they probably cannot even visit friends if the new rules/requests are taken into account. AND its Tokyo area mostly, so likely a small apartment and nowhere for the kid(s) to go. When I was a kid in the country nobody saw me when I was "at home" anyway because I was in the woods all day only coming back for food and drink until dusk.

Maybe you thought she was Wonder Woman? I don't know.

If she jumps off her balcony from the 20th floor can she get some sympathy maybe?

And moving on anyone with 3 small boys has my immediate sympathy already.

When I read it I just felt the journalist didn't really put much heart to it. I mentioned "praise" because I felt it was left out .

Mark of Zorro · 21 Apr 2020

musicisgood said:
When I read it I just felt the journalist didn't really put much heart to it. I mentioned "praise" because I felt it was left out .

My bad. I thought you meant the mother was a journalist and the mother who did not like kids. You meant the writer of the article. Sorry about that.

Pandemic prevention measures turn Japanese families' worlds upside down

musicisgood

Sempai