Description Let Your Child Play as Much as Possible Before Elementary School A recent survey found that 36% of Korean children begin private tutoring at age one, with another 27.1% starting at age two. These early education programs span arts, physical education, creativity, science, math, Chinese characters, and English—vividly illustrating the reality of Korean children, said to be the busiest in the world. Even before mastering basic survival skills like eating, dressing, and standing, children are being pushed into the private education market to build academic abilities. So how likely are children who start earlier, spend more, and receive more private education—as many mothers hope—to actually succeed? The author answers: 'Life is not a short sprint. If you run at full speed from the very start of a long marathon, you'll burn through your energy too quickly. You need to conserve strength early on in order to finish the race. What children need to develop when they're young isn't cognitive ability, but the ability to enjoy things—whether it's studying or playing.' Children who are already busy enough playing with friends are instead forced to focus solely on learning, and as a result, many lose stamina, curiosity, and motivation by the time they reach elementary school. It's often said that a mother's information network determines her child's future, and that a 'good mother' is one who gets her child into the best university. But the author firmly disagrees: 'Some mothers are naturally suited to being meticulous, tiger-mom-style planners. But if that approach doesn't sit right with you, you don't have to force yourself into it just because you think it's necessary for your child. A parenting method you don't truly believe in will only create confusion for both you and your child. How other people raise their children is just a reference point—don't let anxiety over what others are doing sway your own approach.' The author strongly advises letting children be, loosely and freely, at least until they start elementary school. Instead of rushing a child from academy to academy just because there's no one to play with at the playground, let them play alone if necessary—children will find ways to entertain themselves. And it's these children, raised this way, who ultimately become winners in the long race of life. The Art of Treating Your Child Like a Guest In a world where people joke that you should ask a son's mother-in-law to find out his salary, the author's three sons are known for gathering at his house every weekend with their wives and children in tow. Even on days when the sons are too busy to come, the daughters-in-law show up with the grandchildren anyway. People around them wonder about the secret—are the sons especially devoted? Are the daughters-in-law particularly kind? Is the father-in-law intimidating? Does the mother-in-law treat them well? But the author's real answer lies elsewhere: if you raise your children as if they were guests, they remain forever welcome guests—free to visit without any sense of burden, and eager to bring their own families along to show off. When love becomes excessive, it turns into attachment; and when attachment becomes excessive, it turns into a desire to control every aspect of a child's life. A child who is controlled either becomes overly dependent or tries to break free entirely. To avoid becoming attached and controlling, mothers and children need the right amount of distance—and the best way to achieve this is to think of and treat your child as a guest who has come to visit. When you think of your child as a guest, you naturally stop having excessive expectations, become far more patient, and avoid unnecessary conflict. Because you know the guest will eventually leave, you can tolerate their moodiness or occasional rudeness with grace. The best part is that one day, the guest does leave—and while there's a bittersweet sadness to it, the satisfaction of having seen them off well is greater than you'd expect. Above all, throughout the time you spend hosting your guest, you as a parent also undergo your own inner growth, learning the wisdom of maintaining a healthy relationship. How a relationship with a guest turns out depends on how well you played the role of host. If you truly respected and cared for your guest, they will always be grateful, and even after leaving, they'll remember to visit often. In the end, thinking of your child as a guest completely transforms how you see them—you start paying more attention to your child's feelings than your own, want to do right by them in every way, notice their strengths more than their flaws, and feel grateful even for the smallest kindness. Children learn happiness from their parents...