Community Childrearing Support of the Aiiku-kai Society ―In the Case of the Motherhood Education at the Aiiku Settlement (1938-45)―

Abstract

  Recently, we often talk about day nurseries as centers of Community Childrearing Support to solve the problems of raising children, which is connected with concerns over late marriage, the decreasing numbers of children and the increasing numbers of two-income families. But, in the early 1920's in Japan, some day nurseries were already practicing Childrearing Support in their own ways.

  The purpose of this paper is to show that mothers received this support through the motherhood education at day nurseries. I use the Aiiku Settlement as an example. This was attached to the Aiiku-kai Society, based on a firm belief that judicious mothers could establish the methods for raising their children

  The educational practice of the Aiiku Settlement consisted of two parts. One is a mothers' circle at the settlement, and the other was lecture for mothers and young females in the community. These two educations harmoniously cultivated the mothers' concerns for the growth of their children and improved their parenting abilities. The Aiiku-kai Society has provided a principle for motherhood education in Japan.