Mamoru here means providing support to the child and promoting its development. It does not mean doing something instead of the child and keeping it at a distance from difficulties. Moreover, the adult should not intervene directly, but, while allowing the child to experience various things, the caregiver should take a step back, wait for the child’s resolution powers to be exhibited and oversee the child.
For instance, the caregiver should not remove hurdles or pick up a child who has just started walking to prevent it from toppling over or stumbling. The caregiver should ascertain the level the child can clear or the distance it can walk, while giving out a signal that he or she is there as a protector in case of a problem.
To do that, the caregiver does not need to be near the children or play with them, but should consciously keep a little distance from them and observe all of them so that he or she does not miss seeing which child to protect or the signal given by each child. Providing more than necessary support hampers the child’s capabilities to develop. However, when children want to be helped, observe the signals they give out and extend the assistance. And that is Mamoru.
Observe closely and then provide protection. If a strong relationship of trust is born through such an association, the child would realize that it is being ‘overseen’ and would start acting on its own to break away from the adult. Subsequently, the child would gradually start building relationships with other children and through these relationships, would grow in a major way by experiencing various issues. In this sense ‘being watched’ also means providing mental support.
「HOIKU」Heiji Fujimori
