まずは課題を探すために、ある児童養護施設の子ども達と遊びを通して触れ合うプロジェクトを始動、定期的な交流を図ることにしました。その活動を通して、私はできる限り、偏見の目を持たずに子ども達を見るように心がけました。

 

その結果わかったこと。

ひとつは、少なくとも幼児期においては、子ども達の間に「私が想像していたほど」の大きな差はないということでした。もちろん、親と離れていることの情緒面への影響は大きく、どう見ても能力的にすでに差が生じている子どももいました。しかし、同世代の子ども達の中にいて、児童養護施設の全ての幼児達の素行がひときわ目立つと考えるのは誤っているとわかりました。私は、自分の子ども達をよく施設に連れて行きましたが、我が子を育てる過程での気づきは施設の子どもにそのまま当てはまりますし、我が子にいいと思ったことは施設の子どもにもいいという当たり前のことに気がつきました。そしてまた、幼児期は子どもにとっても、大人にとっても支援がしやすい時期。人間の土台が作られるこの時期の支援がもっとなされることで、後の問題行動が減り、子ども達が生きやすくなるのではないかと感じました。

 

ふたつめは、子ども達が大人との触れ合いを強く求めているということ。児童養護施設の子ども達と一般の子ども達との間に想像していたほどの大きな差はないとは言っても、決定的に違う点が１つだけありました。ある5歳の女の子は、私と２人きりになったとき、

 

「今日も帰っちゃうの？どうして帰るの？もっとずっと一緒にいてほしいのにー！！」

 

と言いながら、わんわん泣きました。1、2週間に1度、数時間子ども達と一緒に過ごすようになって半年にも満たない大人に対し、そこまで執着するということは、悲しいかな、我が子が通う保育園の子ども達には見られない言動でした。

 

First of all, in order to find and pinpoint things I have to tackle, I started out my project to build up rapport with children by way of playing with them in one particular child-welfare facility, and I made it a regular visit. Through this activity, I tried my best not to see them with an eye of any prejudice.

Firstly, what I found as a result, there wasn't a barrier between children there and ones in so-called ordinary social environment much more than I originally pictured. Naturally I could see the emotional influence on some children caused by the detachment from their parents, and certainly some were , with fairness, already much behind in physical/academic abilities. I witnessed myself that it was a mistake in observing the behavior of all the children there must be conspicuously different from their counterpart of the same generation. I used to take my own children there, and I concluded that the way I bring up my children can certainly apply for them in the same manner. I confirmed, by the same token, that I felt strongly what is the best for my children is the best for them as well. I reached this fundamental matter of course. Further, I realized that the infancy is the easiest time of life for the children theselves and the adults involved in aspect of the child-care assistance. My humble conclusion was that the help is needed the most in their infancy, which coincides the important time in nurturing one's personality and human value, thus may reduce their behavitorial problems in their later lives and facilitate their course of better living.

Secondaly, I found out that they strongly seek　rapport with adults. Though I mentioned above that there wasn't a big difference between the children in the facility and the ordinary children much more than I originally thought, there was one conclusive difference in between the two. That was the time when I and a five-year old girl there were together: "Are you going home today too? Why are you going? I wish you were here staying with me much longer--!! " She started out crying over and over.

That wasn't even half a year passed since I started to spend time with the children there for a couple of hours one or twice a week. She cried for me--an adult in such a short relation. Alas, it was sad for me to see her in persistence of not losing me. This was the significant difference that isn't common among the counterpart at my own children's nursery school.