Parents everywhere will have breathed a sigh of relief when seven-year-old Yamato Tanooka was found alive and unhurt after six days in a Japanese forest. Yamato had been throwing stones and his parents, to frighten him into behaving, drove off. When they returned some minutes later, he was gone, and a military-led search, plus international publicity and scrunity, soon followed.
All parents will understand the horror of Yamato’s parents over those dark nights. But equally, many will sympathise with the difficulties of disciplining a child who refuses to listen to reason or threats. Yamato’s parents clearly went too far (even if some on social media vocally disagree).
It can be hard to recall that children are still just that, especially as they grow into teenagers and the growth of their bodies outstrips the maturity of their minds. But that’s why parents must be the adults, and understand the consequences of their threats – even if it sometimes seems as if children want them to carry them out.
