Precautions when visiting a grave with a small child

Visiting a grave is an important event that honors ancestors and strengthens family unity.

Of course, visiting the grave is not compulsory, and there may be other events that strengthen unity. It can be said that it is an event to strengthen the unity of one family in a family where the family is bustling with Setsubun beans every year. However, visiting graves has a long history of being emphasized in terms of the bonds of "clan" and "relatives." By visiting graves at milestones in life, clan events, equinoctial week and Obon festival, he thanked his ancestors and reaffirmed his family ties and blood ties.

Since visiting a grave is a "family," "clan," and "strengthening ties," it is desirable for the whole family, from the elderly to children, to visit. However, fathers and mothers often feel uneasy about taking their small children to the grave. Because the grave is a special place, I am worried about what to do if my child does something. I know I'm worried, but my little child is a member of the family. I want to visit the grave all together.

Here are some things to keep in mind when visiting a grave with a small child. Let's keep these five points in mind.

Visit the grave with a small child! What are the five points to note?

Small children don't know what to do when they take their eyes off. Just going shopping at a local supermarket is a big job. Dads and moms can't be alert at all, such as pushing a cart to play, putting their favorite sweets in the shopping cart when they take their eyes off, or getting lost. When you go to the store, you can see cute and lively scenes, such as mothers paying attention to their children saying, "Hey, don't run!" There is. It seems that fathers and mothers cannot take care of themselves in public places such as supermarkets.

What if it is a place called "grave" that Japanese people cherish? It is inevitable that you will be very worried about whether you will bother others or your child will do something. In addition, there are not only those who visit the graves such as the equinoctial week and Obon festival, but also those who have just lost their relatives. Parents may be worried that their children may be traumatized by laughing out loud or playing around.

As a result of various thoughts, some fathers and mothers want to visit the grave after their children have grown to a certain extent. However, as mentioned above, visiting a grave has the meaning of "respecting ancestors" and "strengthening family ties." Visiting a seasonal grave is also important in teaching children the taste of the four seasons and the traditional feeling of the Japanese people. As a traditional education that is not food education, I definitely want to visit the grave with adults from a young age.

Visiting a grave with a small child will be a plus in terms of cultivating tradition and respect. Of course, having small children does not mean that you should refrain from visiting the grave. Please follow the simple precautions and visit the grave with your parents.

The points to note are as follows.

Tell me what kind of place the grave is
Tell your child what it means to visit a grave
Tell your child that the grave is a public place
Tell them not to yell or play
Tell the graves and offerings not to touch them unnecessarily
Nurture your mind by explaining the points to be noted to your child

When visiting a grave with a small child, it is important not to talk about visiting the grave because it is still small, but to tell the child the meaning and precautions of visiting the grave, no matter how small. is. As mentioned above, visiting a grave has the meaning of respecting ancestors and strengthening family ties. But taking a small child to a grave has more implications.

Respect the heart, taste and deceased of Japan. The grave is an important place, and it has been cherished in the long history because visiting the grave is meaningful. By telling your child about visiting the grave, you can also promote your mental growth. Why don't you think "I will talk many times because I will understand even if it is small" instead of "I will not talk because it is small" because it is important. Visiting a grave can be an opportunity to enrich a child's heart.

From here, I will explain the points to note in a little more detail. Please speak to your child in the words of their parents to specifically note this.

Tell me what the grave is like
Tell your child what it means to visit the grave

Tell them that the tomb is an important place for your ancestors to sleep and a place to mourn the dead. Let's also tell you that it is an important place, so you need to have a sincere attitude and etiquette, not a playground. Also, even if your child is small, please teach me the procedure for visiting the grave. If you practice together from simple things such as how to offer flowers and how to put your hands together, your child's understanding of the grave will deepen.

Tell the child that the grave is a public place
Tell them not to yell or play

Visiting the grave is a place to visit other than the equinoctial week and the year-end and New Year holidays. Some of them have just lost their families, and some of them are laying bones. Because it is a place where many people come with various thoughts, playing such as laughing out loud, running around, and jumping on the steps of the grave is NG. Before visiting the grave, please review your child and etiquette asking, "What is your promise when you go to the grave?"

Tell them not to touch the graves and offerings

It is NG to touch the tombstones and offerings at the grave. In particular, refrain from touching the graves of other families. Not only is it a violation of etiquette, but it may also lead to an accident such as a tombstone falling over. Before visiting the grave with your child, make sure to ask, "Why don't you touch the offering?" "No!" "Why do you enter or touch the grave of another family?" "No!" Don't forget.

Finally

You will be careful when visiting a grave with a small child. However, a small child is a member of the family. And in the future, I will be in a position to protect the grave. Why don't you visit the grave "because it's small, but refrain from it", but "it's small, but let me know what you need to be careful about".

The grave is a place that Japanese people have cherished. Visiting graves has also been important in history. Nowadays, food education is actively discussed, so why not incorporate a visit to a grave with your child into your life as part of "mental education" and "traditional education"?