Why This Japanese Mother Stared At Her Smartphone While Her Child Kept Crying

When you're out in public riding a bus, a train or a subway, you may come across a parent with a child crying loudly. While some people don't bother with it, others can get very concerned around a loudly crying child. Especially if the parent seems to be staring at their smartphone, seemingly ignoring their child, you may even think: "Why aren't they doing anything about it?"

Staring at a smartphone...

Illustrator and author Takirei (@kumokun8) is currently raising three children. Her youngest son has a developmental disorder.

On August 16th, she posted a three-frame manga explaining her circumstances for not humoring her son when he acts out.

Her post quickly went viral. At the time of writing, it has been liked by over 97,000 people and retweeted 57,000 times.

Although much progress has been made, awareness and understanding of the unique challenges faced by parents raising children with autism or other developmental disorders can not always be counted on. Therefore, raising awareness through efforts such as these is particularly important.

お子さんがパニックを起こした時、あやすのではなく、クールダウンさせることがあると思います。通りかかりの人に白い目で見られて胃に穴が空きそうな親御さんのために「クールダウンお知らせカード」を作りました。 pic.twitter.com/eIpTwxbzp4
— たきれい(子育て模索アカウント (@kumokun8) August 16, 2019

"When your child has a panic episode, I think you may try to cool them down instead of humoring them. So, for parents on the verge of getting ulcers (from the stress of) facing the cold stares of people passing by, I created a "cooling down notice card."

The manga with English translations

Although we used "mother" and, occasionally, "son" in our translation to reflect Takirei's circumstances, the original Japanese only uses the gender-neutral terms "parent" and "child."

Note: To read each frame, please touch or click on the image to display it in full size.

@kumokun8

Downloadable "Cooling Down Notice Card"

Traveling can potentially be stressful for children with development disabilities, let alone traveling to a foreign country. A big crowded city like Tokyo with all the neon lights, sights and sounds can be very daunting.

You can be a bit more prepared by downloading Takirei's card here.

Print it out and carry it with you during your travels in Japan. According to Takirei, you may like to carry it around in a clear plastic folder like this, so it's easy to pull out and show to passers-by if ever you should need it:

@kumokun8

Moreover, for those who are interested in a more permanent solution, Takirei has printed the sign onto tote bags and smartphone cases which you can purchase here.

If you'd like to see more of Takirei's manga and illustrations, and find out about her publications, you can follow her on Twitter and visit her homepage here.

By - Ben K.