コロナ禍のなか、久しぶりに日本から国際郵便が届いた。
「母」という雑誌に、丁寧な文字で綴られた手紙が添えられていた。
人間学のエッセンスを子育て中のお母さんに伝えたい。
そんな想いが詰まったたくさんの取材記事を、一気に読み終えた。
人は誰でも母から生まれてくるからこそ、母が子に与える影響は大きい。
だからこそ、いろんなスタイルの子育てを垣間見れるのは貴重な体験。
17年前、重い障害を持った娘が生まれた後、私は育児書を投げ捨てた。
生後3ヶ月で首が座るとか、1歳で歩けるようになるとか、全部嘘だった。
前を歩く人がいないか、そればかり探して暗闇を歩いてきた。
今ふりかえると、誰かに「大丈夫だよ」と言ってほしかったのに、
弱い心を見せることさえできずに、もがいていたのかもしれない。
教科書という杓子定規で計れない育児、正解はどこにもない。
「それぞれのスタイルにあった子育ての軸」を提唱してくれる本誌、
迷える母親だけでなく、たくさんの大人たちの心に届きますように。

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I received international mail from Japan for the first time in many months.
It was the magazine, "HAHA (Mother)," accompanied by a letter in carefully spelled letters.
The editors want to convey the essence of anthropology to mothers raising children.
I finished reading the many articles filled with such thoughts.
We are all born from our mothers, which is why a mother greatly influences her children.
That is why this magazine is a valuable experience to get a glimpse of various styles of parenting.
Seventeen years ago, after my severely disabled daughter was born, I threw away the parenting books.
It was all a lie, that baby would be stable her neck at three months of age, that she would be able to walk at one year old.
I walked in the dark, looking for someone to walk in front of me.
Looking back now, I wish someone had said, "It is going to be okay."
Maybe I was struggling, unable to even show my weakness.
There is no right answer to child-rearing that cannot be measured by a textbook.
This magazine advocates "an axis of parenting that fits each style.
May it reach the hearts of many adults, not just mothers.

「母」という雑誌に、丁寧な文字で綴られた手紙が添えられていた。
人間学のエッセンスを子育て中のお母さんに伝えたい。
そんな想いが詰まったたくさんの取材記事を、一気に読み終えた。
人は誰でも母から生まれてくるからこそ、母が子に与える影響は大きい。
だからこそ、いろんなスタイルの子育てを垣間見れるのは貴重な体験。
17年前、重い障害を持った娘が生まれた後、私は育児書を投げ捨てた。
生後3ヶ月で首が座るとか、1歳で歩けるようになるとか、全部嘘だった。
前を歩く人がいないか、そればかり探して暗闇を歩いてきた。
今ふりかえると、誰かに「大丈夫だよ」と言ってほしかったのに、
弱い心を見せることさえできずに、もがいていたのかもしれない。
教科書という杓子定規で計れない育児、正解はどこにもない。
「それぞれのスタイルにあった子育ての軸」を提唱してくれる本誌、
迷える母親だけでなく、たくさんの大人たちの心に届きますように。

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I received international mail from Japan for the first time in many months.
It was the magazine, "HAHA (Mother)," accompanied by a letter in carefully spelled letters.
The editors want to convey the essence of anthropology to mothers raising children.
I finished reading the many articles filled with such thoughts.
We are all born from our mothers, which is why a mother greatly influences her children.
That is why this magazine is a valuable experience to get a glimpse of various styles of parenting.
Seventeen years ago, after my severely disabled daughter was born, I threw away the parenting books.
It was all a lie, that baby would be stable her neck at three months of age, that she would be able to walk at one year old.
I walked in the dark, looking for someone to walk in front of me.
Looking back now, I wish someone had said, "It is going to be okay."
Maybe I was struggling, unable to even show my weakness.
There is no right answer to child-rearing that cannot be measured by a textbook.
This magazine advocates "an axis of parenting that fits each style.
May it reach the hearts of many adults, not just mothers.
