7-year-old boy killed by train in Chiba

In terms of the relevance of mentioning other countries, if someone says that they have never seen a more lax parenting effort than in Japan, and mentions that Japanese parents deliberately put kids in situations that recklessly endanger their lives, that is an unfair generalization. It does happen everywhere in the world, and I think it is unfair to blame the parents when their child is killed suddenly like this. The mother is already feeling horrid, there is no need to blame her for this tragedy.

 

So is the father feeling fantastic then? Parents would have been the term to show view of both but you said mother specifically. I get this feeling that you are one of those dudes who see men in doing no good family affairs.

 

I don't blame the mother. It's just goes without saying kids are looked over but never taught why something is 'abunai'. A word I hear oh so often being said to kids that never know what abunai is supposed to mean or that it's even directed at them and WHY it is directed at them. So they grow up never with a sense of better self preservation. Just look at all those idiots that pull out into a lane on a bicycle as cars are driving along and they slow down for the bicycle and NEVER lay on the horn to tell them that they are doing something stupid. That would be impolite now wouldn't it. So it's no wonder unfortunate things like this happen.
I have had times when I came up beside someone I knew and they never knew I was standing beside them. It's like they have tunnel vision that only extends about 2 meters in front of them. Why is this a 'tokucho' of Japan and nowhere else that I know?

 

For those of you saying that it`s the parent`s fault and should NEVER let their kid out of their site - I`m glad you weren`t my parent.

At 7 years of age, I or anyone I knew, never had our parents watching us ALL the time. It`s an age where you go and play with other kids, explore, ride bikes, play in parks, and discover things.

Coming down on a parent for letting a second grader out of her sight for 20 minutes is a little bit removed from the reality of raising kids. This kid tragically, either chose to ignore or forgot his mother`s words about not playing on the train tracks. It`s that simple.

 

part of raising kids is letting them do things on their own. if you (as a parent) watch your kid 24/7 and constantly badger them as to what is safe and what isn't when will they ever grow up? i agree with the magority of posters who say it wasn't the parents fault, there are times where accidents happen and its nobodies fault.

 

Well considering the chaos in japan, of urbanisme, traffic and amount of peoples living on a small space, this is just what happens . . . . Japan is very safe and well organized considering it`s chaos!

In my little country in luxembourg EU. were you have enough spaces to move around and were life has not even 10% of japanese life, there are also children dying on rails and roads or even shoppingmall parkings . . .

Many accidents in japan are certainly due , to a lack of attention and awarness, but considering the challenge of everday japan chaos, it`s pretty amazing that not every day a child dies on the rails . . .

Why do japanese allways have to be perfect?

 

Safety is a very relative term. I wonder the circumstances why this boy went onto the tracks and why he didnt move out of the way when the train sounded its horn.... I am thankful his end was swift.

 

.... looking like a hypocrite.

Not one of the above contributors who have lashed out at the mother and her parenting failures ahve evr had kids, I can guarantee it.

I grew up near train tracks and I was not kept on a leash until I reached my teen years-- and my parents were pretty smart and capable people. Sometimes tragedy strikes no matter how on the ball you are.

So ease up folks.

 

all the seven year olds that were captured and ... in Japan in the past five years. I remember having groups with a parent walking the children home. Seven year olds should be watch. Not watching your young children in a dangerous environment is neglect and should be reported as such.

And we all know that the houses in Japan go up to the curb with no side walks. Drivers are not that polite either. Japan is an extremely dangerous place for an unsupervised child.

 

Sue the SOBs for having no fences in a populated area. Only reason I like suing is because these issues are taken care of in the states. So many overlooked dangerous areas in Japan.

 

for children, no doubt about it ! Automobile traffic alone is a major hazard. The narrow confines of daily life here only exaggerate the chances that a child will encounter danger on a daily basis. Food for thought for those of you wanting to raise children here... I wouldn't !

 

7 years old is old enough to play outside alone. There are a lot of overprotective parents on this website.

 

I cannot agree! How many countries do you think could produce a show like "hajimete wo otsukai" where kids as young as 3 and 4 toddle off to buy things from the local shops? To the contrary, I would say that (a) Japan is a far safer place than my country, to even contemplate letting the kid do this (and before you say, yes I know it is all closely supervised by TV crew blah blah and (b) those kids are far more aware of their surroundings than a lot of children the same age in other countries.

Personally, I would far rather let my kid develop like a normal child, than wrap them in cotton wool and control their every move. Not to mention the weight and health issues that arise when children are cooped up inside. Why don't we buy the kids one of those indoor exercise wheels that they use for pedigree cats while we are at it?

 

Very sad that this boy died unsupervised and that there was not a fence in a populated area. Oh, but a three or four year old are just fine going it alone. Reality my friend is a bit different from TV. Let up parents and spend some time with your children. Walk to the store with them and pray the moments you get bored. Work/getting ahead/I am #1 kid your on your own/ does not take priority over our relations with one another starting with the family. I work to live not live to work and I will make sure my children are watched over. Children are so very important and precious that we should do our best to ensure they do not get hurt.

 

it`s so simple, a child can begin to lear as soon as 3, we need to start respecting and treating children as equals to us.

we need to teach them how to cross the streets, why things like this happend, and make them understand they can happend.

we need to teach them about their bodies, and about sex, and about people, about pretty everything we know, they learn fast and this way we don`t have to keep an eye on `em all the time.

but since children are special, we need to keep an eye on `em in certain conditions such as when bad weather comes, or when crossing a busy street and when being near a lousy stranger who might want to have some intentions with the child.

if the child has initiated in sex, we have to take more care of him/her because as you might know sex can get us killed sometimes but we can always cheat death by a 2 seconds ratio.

so, keep an eye on yer boys and teach `em how to express themselves without fearing death of predators and sick religious pimps or any ass out there

XD

also for the parents if ya read this u should have another kid, a boy, to bring ur son back to life, don`t forget him or cry coz thats a sin.

=D