I want to talk about difference of view children. When I visited my host family’s house in Minnesota, there were my host father, host mother, three sisters and one brother. The children are twenty years old, seventeen years old, nine years old and five years old. I was surprised because the youngest girl has own room and sleep by herself. In America children never really sleep with their parents unless they are scared or have bad dreams. Babies sleep in a crib, which is usually in another room and then they slowly get bigger beds as they grow up. In Japan, most of young children sleep with their parents. I felt American children get old faster than Japanese children and their parents think their children like an adult. For example, sixteen years old people can get a license for drive in Minnesota but we can’t do that when we are sixteen years old. However, twenty years old people can’t drink in Minnesota. This is one of the law.
In Minnesota I saw many people who are my host sister’s friends. I think Most of American people have a friend who is different age, so they learn a lot of things from friends who don't same age. That is why, they have a chance that they meet people who is not same age. For example, it is popular in America, don’t go public school and go home school. They make a friend around the house or church like that instead of public school. They meet a lot of kind of people there. In Japan, it is not popular to do study at home school so most of children go public school and make friends who are same age there. Some Japanese young children have friends who don't same age, of course. However, I think that there is a big difference between American children and Japanese children.
In Minnesota, I felt that my host family gets along with their neighbors. My youngest host sister often goes next house and sometimes she go to the party with her mother and brother. After that, they take some friends to our house. When I asked them “How old are you?” most children's age was not same but they get on with each other.
We came back home and I received an email from my host sister, she is twenty year old. She said that how does your culture view children and how do they view young adults, adults, and elders? She wanted to send a replay soon but that question was difficult for me because I had never considered that. I answered and I said that I want to hear your opinions. She sent a replay to me. In her opinion, Children are seen as needing to be sheltered from discomfort. Young adults should enjoy the lack of responsibilities but they are also seen as lazy sometimes. Adults are the responsible ones and they should work to be independent. After reading, I felt I'm a child yet. Her opinion made me a strong impression. I felt that she is an adult.
In Japan, mostly adult line is age of twenty but I think it is too young for modern people. Some age of twenty people doesn't have a responsible one, for example, there are people who don’t work and doesn't study, and they eat and sleep only. Old days the young people could not have to decide to do in the future, sometimes they should go war or marry the person who is prepared by their parents but now we can decide to do next as you like. The young people have many choices and loose our way now. However, In America the adult line is age of eighteen. It is early more than Japan but my host sisters are find her way and study about that. I heard that things they said to me they are an adult so they have to decide. Of course they felt uneasy about their future, looks like me but they had a confidence in own opinion, their dreams. I think it is great they can say so. If I have a dream, it is not easy to tell other people about dream for me.Actually, I talked many times with my host sister, she is eighteen years old. She always had her opinion and when I answered about American culture or custom, she could explain the meaning of it. I felt they were interested in government, I think this is due to the patriotism. In Japan, it is difficult to feel patriotism but we can see it in daily life in America. Old days most of people have patriotism in Japan too but now, there is a little person who has it in mind. Many people still love Japan but it is true the person who has strong patriotism is decreasing.
In conclusion, when I compared American children and Japanese children, there were differences that expected from their parents. American people desire to live with positiveness but Japanese people desire to produce results. So, I got the impression the going own way from American children and got the impression the going safe way from Japanese children. Now, there is a little job for the people who couldn't go school in Japan but America has many jobs unless you can't get a lot of money. One of the reason, there are immigrant people in America. Honestly it is easy to get those jobs, you can't speak English well. However it is difficult to do that in Japan. Parents want their child to be happy so they desire a success regardless of a race. However, in Japan it is important to get good education background, we still tend to look that. Almost all parents want own children to study hard and go good university in Japan due to that. It take a independence or positive off their children, I think. American and Japanese have different culture and religion, it is natural that view of children was different. However, we have to change. I think the best way is picking good point up from two countries and Japanese children should have a dream more freely. I felt we should learn from America.
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