Chantal Fouad
DUBAI: Japanese reality tv show, Old Enough, portrays many diverse aspects of Japanese culture, showing the efforts of toddlers, as young as 3 years old, going on errands for the first time.
Toddlers and kindergarteners go, on their own, to run their first errand.
With no notes or written guidance from their parents, only verbal instructions before the errand, the children run errands such as buying groceries for their parents and delivering packages to family members.
The children are unknowingly monitored at all times by the camera and safety crew; the errand routes are checked beforehand by the parents and the program staff and the people in the neighborhood are informed previous to the errand to ensure the utmost safety of the children.
All details are captured on video, from the child leaving home to start the errand, all the possible challenges he/she might face, such as, getting lost, asking people for help, and in the case of two children running the same errand together, how they communicate and negotiate to reach an agreement on a certain decision.
The children might have to take public transportation to reach their destination, cross main roads, and even walk long distances.
This portrays many aspects of the Japanese culture; most importantly, their priority to embed confidence and determination within their children at a young age.
The children are welcomed with heartwarming gratitude from their parents after they have completed the errand, which makes them feel encouraged and accomplished and therefore creates confidence in their abilities to perform tasks.
Old Enough has been airing internationally on Netflix since 2022, documented in short episodes each with a different child completing his/her first ever errand.