My son, age 14, loves watching the Japanese show ‘Old Enough’ on Netflix. The premise is that young children — ages 4, 3 and even 2 — are sent to run errands by themselves. Cleverly disguised camera crews trail them on their journeys while their parents wait for them at home or some other predetermined meeting point. The kids walk though neighborhoods, cross the street, navigate public transit and manage interactions with shopkeepers. One little girl carries her mother’s work pants to be mended. Another child purchases dumplings from a vendor.
The children’s focus and determination is captivating, and it’s impossible not to become invested in their success at the task. The kids are also adorable. Their reactions and facial expressions regularly crack my son up. But that isn’t the show’s only allure. The sheer implausibility of the whole endeavor draws him in.
“You would’ve never let me do something like this,” he observed. “You would’ve been freaking out.”
He’s not wrong. When he was 3, I likely would’ve sent him hang gliding before allowing him to cross the street alone. But my parenting instincts aren’t just a product of my own neuroses. They’re part of a culture, and here in the U.S. we’ve developed a culture of overprotectiveness and fear when it comes to kids acting independently.
