CRN - Child Science - Symposium2000 -Views of Participants

HOME | Symposium TOP | International Symposium 2000 TOP | Views of Participants Index Page

Views of Participants

III. Participant's Views on Panel Discussion "The Child Care Paradox: Choices in Children's Development"

1. Opinions and ideas on the presentations of the panelists by participants in their

Participants in their 20's

Child care provider (Female)

To Dr. Imai
As a child care provider myself, there were a lot of parts I could agree on, and I enjoyed hearing about the episodes that occurred at the child care centers. Although it was stated that child care should be provided by a calm group consisting of a few child care providers, in reality, the child-staff ratio is gradually rising. In Tokyo, there are situations where the child care providers' salary and benefits for special operation are being cut. This could be considered a better environment and child care centers for the parents, but I think that this is creating a negative environment for the children and the child care providers.

To Dr. Friedman
Although it is said that child care centers are important for the society, I felt that the salary for child care providers and investment towards the system is still low in Japan.

Graduate Student (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
It sounded as if the main people raising the children were limited to the mothers. It would be better if we could consider the meaning of how the society could share child care instead of just supporting the mothers raising their children.

University Student (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
I was surprised to find out that when the mothers worked, this did not have much influence on infant child care.

Nurse

To Dr. Uchida
I was interested in your statement that children obtain communication through adults that they trust.

Letter Counselor (Female)

To Dr. Uchida
The way you opened your comments by using the recent incidents of the 17 year olds in Japan was very easy to understand. Also the way you explained to us the importance of the ability for the children to express themselves from the background of the absence of fathers and the close mother-child relationship between based on these incidents and the episodes you gave made it even easier to understand. I was able to realize again that the children mature under the cooperation of many people such as their parents and child care providers.

To Dr. Matsumoto
I agree with your statement that child rearing should be relaxingly enjoyed at least for the first six months.

To Dr. Imai
Through the stories of small group child care, I was able to understand the present status of the child care providers and what they are requesting for.

To Dr. Friedman
I was surprised at the idea of teaching parenthood to the high school students, and think it would be wonderful if we are able to implement this. I think there are a lot of mothers out there who would have benefited if they were able to think seriously about the flow of life of working, marrying, and having children when they were younger.

back to top

Participants in their 30's

Former Child Care Provider (Female)

To Dr. Friedman
I was very interested in your statement that even if the children receive child care, the hours spent at home with their families could be an important time in life, and that it is more important to prepare the best environment when starting child care compared to when child care is started.

Researcher (Female)

To Dr. Uchida
I was interested in the example where you stated that the establishment of attachment is indispensable for development.

Graduate Student

To Dr. Matsumoto
You mentioned that we should hold our children for 30 minutes (after they come back from the child care centers), but I feel that the actual situation is that the working mothers do not have even have this 30 minutes.

Health Nurse (Female)

To Dr. Imai
I agree with the importance of holding your children. I think that child rearing is an important communication where human being can relate to one another.

To Dr. Friedman
The society says that children and child rearing are important, but on the other hand I feel that there is a gap in what they do and say since they are not adequately involved in child care.

Company Employee (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
I was interested in your talk of how receiving child care from an early stage did not have a negative influence on the future development of the children.

To Dr. Imai
I was interested in your story of how the stableness and attachment of the infants are created by relaxed, small group child care.

To Dr. Friedman
The points I was interested in were that there is no answer to when a child should be put into a child care center, that we need child care that is in line with the values of society, that the women working in society are a proof that history is progressing, and that the society needs to invest more in child care.

Company Employee (Female)

To Dr. Imai
I was interested in your story that if the child-staff ratio was 2 to 6 and if the child care providers cooperate, they can realize small changes in the children and provide care by making assumptions.

Business Manager (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
As a business manager, I feel that it is very difficult to make child care leave obligatory for 6 months (up to a year if possible). The reason is that we highly value the ability of the women as a human being.

To Dr. Imai
I completely agree with your point that children act waiting for the words of the ones they love.

Office worker (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
I was interested in your proposals of making the society into one that is easier to raise children and take child care leave.

Full Time Mother

To Dr. Matsumoto
I became aware that there are almost no significant differences in the children's development and actions regardless of whether the child care providers are the mothers or child care centers.

back to top

Participants in their 40's

Kindergarten teacher (Female)

To Dr. Imai
I think that it is important that the child care providers for infants look after the parents as well as the children.

To Dr. Friedman
I also agree with the idea that if we keep our children next to us and talk to them while we cook, it will not be a problem even in Japan where the hours of child care are very long. I think that the self-awareness and love as a mother and the cooperation of the family is very important.

Kindergarten teacher (Female)

To Dr. Imai
I was interested in the talks that the adults should be the ones adjusting to the children and not the other way around, and that we need child care providers that will think about the children more than just thinking of child care as their job.

Developmental Psychologist (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
At the keynote address, Ms. Takaki mentioned that it seemed that the mothers working full time were the ones who seemed to be enjoying child care. However, if everyone will be able to take 2 years of child care leave as in your proposal, I feel that there will be more mothers with child care anxiety.

To Dr. Imai
I listened with interest to your story of how the children in the infant child care classes have a strong relationship with their parents until the age of 20.

Nurse (Female)

To Dr. Imai
I was interested in your story of how important it is for two year olds expressing their feelings is in building their character.

back to top

Participants in their 50's

Child care provider (Female)

To Dr. Uchida
I realized that when forming attachment, it can also be created if the children have a good relationship with the care providers and that it does not have to be limited to the mothers.

Child care provider (Female)

To Dr. Uchida
I was interested in the idea of a team work between the parents and the child care providers and in the symbolic idea that the society holds the function of child care.

Doctor (Female)

To Dr. Friedman
Regarding the question "at what age should a child be enrolled in child care center?" I could understand your reply that we should not decide just by the child's development but should be decided on family situation and the lifestyle of the mother.

Architectural designer(Female)

To Dr. Uchida
I was interested in the analysis of the 17 year old boys committing atrocious crimes, but wondered whether it was over declared.

back to top

Participants in their 60's

Education Related Worker (Female)

To Dr. Uchida
I was able to understand how important human contact is for the development of the children and that physical development is promoted through mental conditions.

Doctor (Male)

To Dr. Matsumoto
I think that opinions and senses from experiences that cannot be denied is important since as you mentioned in your talk, it is difficult to make research scientific and many do not trust the researches.

back to top

Participants over 70

Company Employee (Female)

To Dr. Uchida
I was interested in the common points of the children that tend to get lose control and those who commit crimes. I would like to be careful of this point in future child care.

To Dr. Matsumoto
As a person who uses a child care center it was painful to listen to the opinions of the child care providers had towards the mothers.

back to top

Age Unidentified

Child care providers (Female)

To Dr. Uchida
I agree with your proposal that relates to the restoration of the child rearing function of the community that includes the family.

To Dr. Friedman
I realized that nice relationship with our children can be obtained although they may be under long hours of child care. Also, I agree with your idea that it is necessary to educate at an early stage how they should become parents and the meaning of having a family.

Child care Provider (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
I agree with your question whether group child care is necessary for infants. However, I do feel it is necessary for the support of the society so that the mother and child will not be isolated.

To Dr. Imai
I do not recommend putting children into child care centers because I have been surprised at the decline in the quality of child care. I would like for universities to train care providers that will actually provide high quality child care.

Kindergarten Director (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
Although you stated that it is better for mothers to take time off work in order to raise their children, in a time where restructuring of the business is common, it still is difficult to carry this out. I was able to find out that there are many doctors who are uneasy or unsatisfied with group child care for infants.

Researcher (Female)

To Dr. Matsumoto
The slide that showed the opinions of what the child care providers thought about the mothers really got me thinking about myself.

To Dr. Imai
Your opinions that were based on the actual happenings at the child care centers and experiences through child raising were very persuasive. If I am to put my child in a child care center, I would like for that center to be one where they have group child care.

Letter Counselor (Female)

To Dr. Uchida
I was interested in hearing about the restoration of rights of the child rearing function of the community that includes families.

To Dr. Imai
I listened with interest to your statement on high quality child care where you mentioned that the children learn words by listening to the words of the people that love them.

(Female)

To Dr. Uchida
The episodes on the abused children were very interesting. I was able to understand that the attachments of the mothers (child care providers) have a great influence on children development.

back to top

	Views of Participants
	III. Participant's Views on Panel Discussion "The Child Care Paradox: Choices in Children's Development"

	1. Opinions and ideas on the presentations of the panelists by participants in their

	Participants in their 20's
		Child care provider (Female)
		To Dr. Imai As a child care provider myself, there were a lot of parts I could agree on, and I enjoyed hearing about the episodes that occurred at the child care centers. Although it was stated that child care should be provided by a calm group consisting of a few child care providers, in reality, the child-staff ratio is gradually rising. In Tokyo, there are situations where the child care providers' salary and benefits for special operation are being cut. This could be considered a better environment and child care centers for the parents, but I think that this is creating a negative environment for the children and the child care providers. To Dr. Friedman Although it is said that child care centers are important for the society, I felt that the salary for child care providers and investment towards the system is still low in Japan.
		Graduate Student (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto It sounded as if the main people raising the children were limited to the mothers. It would be better if we could consider the meaning of how the society could share child care instead of just supporting the mothers raising their children.
		University Student (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto I was surprised to find out that when the mothers worked, this did not have much influence on infant child care.
		Nurse
		To Dr. Uchida I was interested in your statement that children obtain communication through adults that they trust.
		Letter Counselor (Female)
		To Dr. Uchida The way you opened your comments by using the recent incidents of the 17 year olds in Japan was very easy to understand. Also the way you explained to us the importance of the ability for the children to express themselves from the background of the absence of fathers and the close mother-child relationship between based on these incidents and the episodes you gave made it even easier to understand. I was able to realize again that the children mature under the cooperation of many people such as their parents and child care providers. To Dr. Matsumoto I agree with your statement that child rearing should be relaxingly enjoyed at least for the first six months. To Dr. Imai Through the stories of small group child care, I was able to understand the present status of the child care providers and what they are requesting for. To Dr. Friedman I was surprised at the idea of teaching parenthood to the high school students, and think it would be wonderful if we are able to implement this. I think there are a lot of mothers out there who would have benefited if they were able to think seriously about the flow of life of working, marrying, and having children when they were younger.
		back to top

	Participants in their 30's
		Former Child Care Provider (Female)
		To Dr. Friedman I was very interested in your statement that even if the children receive child care, the hours spent at home with their families could be an important time in life, and that it is more important to prepare the best environment when starting child care compared to when child care is started.
		Researcher (Female)
		To Dr. Uchida I was interested in the example where you stated that the establishment of attachment is indispensable for development.
		Graduate Student
		To Dr. Matsumoto You mentioned that we should hold our children for 30 minutes (after they come back from the child care centers), but I feel that the actual situation is that the working mothers do not have even have this 30 minutes.
		Health Nurse (Female)
		To Dr. Imai I agree with the importance of holding your children. I think that child rearing is an important communication where human being can relate to one another. To Dr. Friedman The society says that children and child rearing are important, but on the other hand I feel that there is a gap in what they do and say since they are not adequately involved in child care.
		Company Employee (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto I was interested in your talk of how receiving child care from an early stage did not have a negative influence on the future development of the children. To Dr. Imai I was interested in your story of how the stableness and attachment of the infants are created by relaxed, small group child care. To Dr. Friedman The points I was interested in were that there is no answer to when a child should be put into a child care center, that we need child care that is in line with the values of society, that the women working in society are a proof that history is progressing, and that the society needs to invest more in child care.
		Company Employee (Female)
		To Dr. Imai I was interested in your story that if the child-staff ratio was 2 to 6 and if the child care providers cooperate, they can realize small changes in the children and provide care by making assumptions.
		Business Manager (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto As a business manager, I feel that it is very difficult to make child care leave obligatory for 6 months (up to a year if possible). The reason is that we highly value the ability of the women as a human being. To Dr. Imai I completely agree with your point that children act waiting for the words of the ones they love.
		Office worker (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto I was interested in your proposals of making the society into one that is easier to raise children and take child care leave.
		Full Time Mother
		To Dr. Matsumoto I became aware that there are almost no significant differences in the children's development and actions regardless of whether the child care providers are the mothers or child care centers.
		back to top

	Participants in their 40's
		Kindergarten teacher (Female)
		To Dr. Imai I think that it is important that the child care providers for infants look after the parents as well as the children. To Dr. Friedman I also agree with the idea that if we keep our children next to us and talk to them while we cook, it will not be a problem even in Japan where the hours of child care are very long. I think that the self-awareness and love as a mother and the cooperation of the family is very important.
		Kindergarten teacher (Female)
		To Dr. Imai I was interested in the talks that the adults should be the ones adjusting to the children and not the other way around, and that we need child care providers that will think about the children more than just thinking of child care as their job.
		Developmental Psychologist (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto At the keynote address, Ms. Takaki mentioned that it seemed that the mothers working full time were the ones who seemed to be enjoying child care. However, if everyone will be able to take 2 years of child care leave as in your proposal, I feel that there will be more mothers with child care anxiety. To Dr. Imai I listened with interest to your story of how the children in the infant child care classes have a strong relationship with their parents until the age of 20.
		Nurse (Female)
		To Dr. Imai I was interested in your story of how important it is for two year olds expressing their feelings is in building their character.
		back to top

	Participants in their 50's
		Child care provider (Female)
		To Dr. Uchida I realized that when forming attachment, it can also be created if the children have a good relationship with the care providers and that it does not have to be limited to the mothers.
		Child care provider (Female)
		To Dr. Uchida I was interested in the idea of a team work between the parents and the child care providers and in the symbolic idea that the society holds the function of child care.
		Doctor (Female)
		To Dr. Friedman Regarding the question "at what age should a child be enrolled in child care center?" I could understand your reply that we should not decide just by the child's development but should be decided on family situation and the lifestyle of the mother.
		Architectural designer(Female)
		To Dr. Uchida I was interested in the analysis of the 17 year old boys committing atrocious crimes, but wondered whether it was over declared.
		back to top

	Participants in their 60's
		Education Related Worker (Female)
		To Dr. Uchida I was able to understand how important human contact is for the development of the children and that physical development is promoted through mental conditions.
		Doctor (Male)
		To Dr. Matsumoto I think that opinions and senses from experiences that cannot be denied is important since as you mentioned in your talk, it is difficult to make research scientific and many do not trust the researches.
		back to top

	Participants over 70
		Company Employee (Female)
		To Dr. Uchida I was interested in the common points of the children that tend to get lose control and those who commit crimes. I would like to be careful of this point in future child care. To Dr. Matsumoto As a person who uses a child care center it was painful to listen to the opinions of the child care providers had towards the mothers.
		back to top

	Age Unidentified
		Child care providers (Female)
		To Dr. Uchida I agree with your proposal that relates to the restoration of the child rearing function of the community that includes the family. To Dr. Friedman I realized that nice relationship with our children can be obtained although they may be under long hours of child care. Also, I agree with your idea that it is necessary to educate at an early stage how they should become parents and the meaning of having a family.
		Child care Provider (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto I agree with your question whether group child care is necessary for infants. However, I do feel it is necessary for the support of the society so that the mother and child will not be isolated. To Dr. Imai I do not recommend putting children into child care centers because I have been surprised at the decline in the quality of child care. I would like for universities to train care providers that will actually provide high quality child care.
		Kindergarten Director (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto Although you stated that it is better for mothers to take time off work in order to raise their children, in a time where restructuring of the business is common, it still is difficult to carry this out. I was able to find out that there are many doctors who are uneasy or unsatisfied with group child care for infants.
		Researcher (Female)
		To Dr. Matsumoto The slide that showed the opinions of what the child care providers thought about the mothers really got me thinking about myself. To Dr. Imai Your opinions that were based on the actual happenings at the child care centers and experiences through child raising were very persuasive. If I am to put my child in a child care center, I would like for that center to be one where they have group child care.
		Letter Counselor (Female)
		To Dr. Uchida I was interested in hearing about the restoration of rights of the child rearing function of the community that includes families. To Dr. Imai I listened with interest to your statement on high quality child care where you mentioned that the children learn words by listening to the words of the people that love them.
		(Female)
		To Dr. Uchida The episodes on the abused children were very interesting. I was able to understand that the attachments of the mothers (child care providers) have a great influence on children development.
		back to top