What do falls teach children?

However, have you noticed that in most cases, a child's reaction is to… cry? And do you understand why? "Let your child stumble and fail"—that's the most accurate expression of the Japanese parenting philosophy.

Society is not static; it is constantly becoming more complex and full of temptations. Therefore, if young people lack maturity in adapting to the complexities of society, they are more likely to fall into temptation and act impulsively.

When a child falls, the first thing you need to do is observe whether the child truly needs your attention.

What should parents do when a child falls?

First, you need to observe whether the child truly needs your attention. If you notice that the child is genuinely in pain, has scrapes or bruises, or is bleeding, they will need your care.

Depending on the severity, you may need to clean, wash, disinfect, or even take the child to see a doctor. If the child is not seriously injured, you can ignore it, and they will get up, brush off their clothes, and continue on their own.

You can also encourage your child by diverting their attention away from them or by offering them encouragement. Specifically, direct their attention to something else.

For example, you can smile and say from a distance (without running to the child): "Oh, you just bumped into the table. Is the table okay?" or "Oh, it was just a fall. Get up and play again," or explain to the child why they fell, how to avoid it, and they will gradually learn.

It's absolutely crucial not to let others interfere in this matter. For example, if you apply the above methods but your in-laws or husband do the opposite (like rushing to comfort or soothe them), it will backfire. Unfortunately, this is very common among Vietnamese mothers, especially when living with their in-laws.

Even something as simple as teaching a child when they stumble and fall contributes to shaping their character. Children will become more independent and well-behaved if you understand their psychology and handle situations wisely.

Almost all Western mothers apply the above principles. You will rarely see Western mothers rushing to comfort their children when they fall, and Western children rarely cry when they fall.

The story of Honda Soichiro

Despite being the owner of the world-renowned Honda company, Soichiro Honda had a less than successful childhood. When he was a primary school student,

Honda consistently ranked last in his class academically, considered to have weaker thinking skills compared to his classmates. In any other endeavor, Honda failed. Despite this, he later admitted that those years helped him develop the dynamic and creative mind he possesses today.

Every person, during their growth and maturation process, inevitably experiences failure at times. Of course, some children experience more failures than others. Parents often worry and fear that their children's future will be filled with nothing but failures.

This anxiety leads many parents to try every way to prevent their children from facing failure again. Unwilling to acknowledge their children's failures, parents unintentionally create pressure on them: "Don't make that mistake again!", "How many times have you messed this up already?", "If you make that mistake again..."

That's not right! When children experience failure, parents should be the ones to alleviate their psychological burden. It's not just about accepting their failure, but also about helping them develop a positive outlook on it.

After each failure, what parents need to do is help their children find the strength to correct their mistakes and confidently rise again. In fact, the Japanese parenting style has proven to foster a mindset of "being allowed to fail" rather than "being forbidden from failing."

Soichiro Honda once stated: "Failure is not something to be afraid of. The only reason you shouldn't be afraid of failure is because once you're afraid of failure, you won't succeed at anything you do!"