We are a bicultural family and we joined Magome Kyodo Hoikusho in 2021. Looking back it’s amazing how much our son has grown and learned at Magome.

He started at 8 months old and he was only sort of crawling. Soon he was zooming after toys and by one-year-old he was toddling around. His stamina and dexterity improved rapidly. I am convinced that this is because Magome is a place that looks for the “yes” rather than defaulting to “no.” 

Especially with the littlest kids, safety is the highest priority. That being said, it’s too easy to fall into the habit of protecting them from all the bumps and bruises that come from taking risks. It’s those tumbles and scrapes that teach babies and toddlers how to fall and then get back up again. The classes at Magome are small, so the teachers can pay specific attention to every child. They have the wherewithal and knowledge to assess if it is safe to allow the baby to explore and try to climb the rocky wall or if they need to redirect that day. Rather than defaulting to disallowing climbing, they look for a way to actively teach the baby the safe way to climb up and then back down again. In the long run, learning the skills to accomplish and the risks of various activities has helped our son to understand the everchanging limits of his body. He can assess when he can do it himself and when he needs help. He can climb rock piles like a goat, but he doesn’t take wild risks because he understands that it hurts to fall. 

Our son has gained not only physical skills but communication skills as well. Starting as babies, they learn strategies to navigate various situations. When they want a toy, they learn to say “kashite” (Can I play with it?). Sometimes that’s met with “iiyo” (Yes, you can.) but sometimes it’s “iyadayo” (No, you can’t.). The interaction doesn’t necessarily end with the rejection. The teachers sometimes guide the babies and toddlers to make the compromise of when the first kid is finished with the toy the next kid gets it. Or maybe the requesting child can offer up a trade for the desired toy. Our son’s preferred method was offering trades for toys. It was apparently very effective. The communication successes and failures teach problem-solving and resilience. Now with the bigger kids, it’s teaching the script of “iyadattayo” (I didn’t like that.), “gomenne” (I’m sorry.), and “mou shinaidene” (Don’t do it anymore.). For some kids, like our son, standing up for themselves even against their peers is a tall mountain to climb. The teachers notice which areas the children are strong or weak in and communicate regularly and strategize with parents to help support the growth of each Magome Kid.
　

Magome Kids not only develop their physical stamina and dexterity, they also develop their communication skills and emotional intelligence. They learn which issues they can resolve themselves and when they need the help of an adult. Our son not only learned that he is strong enough to walk to Tokyo Tower or run across Rainbow Bridge, but that he can use his voice to stand up for himself and meaningfully contribute to discussions and decisions. Both his heart and body have grown and strengthened as we prepare to enter the world of school and beyond.