Insights from Former TBS Host Yuko Aoki on Nurturing Imagination and Embracing Life’s Lessons

“Mom always says that even if you fail, it’s important to try again!”

 

Former TBS announcer Yuko Aoki (41), who had hesitated to attend a piano recital held in late March, was encouraged by her sons’ words. Despite feeling embarrassed, she decided to challenge herself by participating in the recital, where she performed the classic song “Wish Upon a Star.” Reflecting on the experience, Aoki says:

 

“I learned from my sons. Indeed, I’ve always emphasized the importance of experiencing new things. As a mother, I couldn’t hesitate. I participated in the piano recital through the connection of my sons attending the classroom. I wasn’t skilled enough to perform for others.”

Aoki, who has sons aged 10 and 8, values “experiences” in parenting. From clam digging to fruit picking, and firefly watching. She strives to provide her sons with seasonal experiences according to the time of year.

Aoki has compiled her parenting essays, which were serialized on the lifestyle magazine website “FRAU,” into a book titled “Child-Rearing Almanac from Age 3” (Kodansha), released on April 19th. Despite humbly claiming she is not an exceptional mother, Aoki shares parenting episodes involving failures, reflections, and concrete examples of experiences she has practiced with her children throughout the year, hoping they will find it interesting.

Humans and plants are the same.

“I always had a vague understanding that ‘experiences are important.’ But I didn’t know what to do about it. I thought we had to do something special, like climbing Mt. Takao (Hachioji City, Tokyo) because everyone else was doing it, or seeing beautiful scenery on a trip abroad.

As I began to think about elementary school entrance exams and heard discussions from tutors, I had a revelation. Even simple things we can do at home can become valuable learning experiences depending on how we approach them. I realized that by changing our approach, we could increase enjoyment.”

One of the experiences Aoki practiced with her sons was gardening.

“We grew mini tomatoes and corn on our balcony and rented plots. Of course, they didn’t just grow on their own after planting. We had to water them and weed them, which was hard work. Sometimes, our corn was eaten by birds, and we had to deal with a lot of aphids.

But I think my children learned that plants, like humans, don’t grow easily, and things don’t always go as planned. They could feel the colors and shapes of flowers and stems. The joy of harvesting after hard work is truly special. My children were proud of the vegetables they grew themselves.”