We attended my son’s nyūenshiki recently, and honestly I’m still shocked by how it affected him.
I didn’t really know what to expect, but the whole atmosphere felt so serious. Everyone was wearing black suits, the room was quiet and formal, and even though the teachers were kind, everything felt extremely rigid. It honestly reminded me more of a funeral than a celebration.
The strange part is that before this, my son had already been going to pre-kindergarten for a few months and he loved it. Every morning he was excited to go, no issues at all.
But the day after nyūenshiki, he completely changed. He cried harder than I’ve ever seen and begged me not to leave him there. It was heartbreaking, and it’s like the ceremony flipped a switch in his head and suddenly school became something scary.
I know I’m in Japan and I’m not here to criticize traditions, but this just felt wrong.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is this a common reaction? Did your child eventually adjust again?
by Beneficial_Lie_6504