CreativePocket Inc. is developing services such as digital marketing support business, Babytech business such as the development of "BabyPasha@," a photo gachet that can be used while crawling, and media business that handles everything from the launch of multiple media to their operation. and other services.
Shinya Fukuda, the president of the company, says, "The axis of our business is to leave something for the future in a way that has never been done before." He enjoys bringing ideas to life with 0-1.
This is a series of articles in which we ask executives and business managers about balancing business and child-rearing. After the interruption caused by the Corona disaster, we are rebooting the series under the new title "Biz x Iku" (Biz Iku).
The interlocutor is Mr. Nagata, the representative of Papa Smile, which operates Japan's only media specializing in baby tech, "Baby Tech," and a comprehensive consulting business for childcare-related IT products and services.
We interviewed Mr. Fukuda, a father of one, about balancing work and child rearing, sharing housework and childcare between husband and wife, and how to avoid stress.
(1) Stress-free at partner meetings
(2) The mindset of work also applies to child rearing.
(iii) It is important to nip each other's stress in the bud early.
(1) Stress-free at partner meetings
What is the Fukuda family's unique way of balancing work and child rearing?
Nagata:First of all, could you tell us about your family structure, Mr. Fukuda?
rice field used to grow crops:I have a family of three, a wife and a 1 year and 3 month old daughter. My daughter has been attending daycare since she was 6 months old.
Nagata:I understand that you are busy every day with work and childcare.
rice field used to grow crops:At the beginning of each month, we have a family meeting, or what we call a partner meeting, which has been a grueling process since the beginning of our marriage. We mutually decide on an agenda and log for the month and summarize it in NOTION! We make it quite intensive in terms of content! By doing this well every month, we have been able to rub our schedules together as a couple, and we have been able to do this without any major stress.
Nagata:Oooooo! I heard it for the first time. That's wonderful! What do you talk about at those partner meetings?
rice field used to grow crops:Of course we check each other's schedules, but the main thing is to share our schedules and goals for the month, such as "I will pick up the children from preschool on this day," etc. Since we consider our children as the center of our lives, we also make sure to check their meal times and bedtimes. By sharing these axes, we have so far been able to live stress-free without encountering any major problems or challenges.
Nagata:I know it depends on your child's personality, but do you ever have trouble getting your child to sleep at this planned time?
rice field used to grow crops:That was really gratifying, because my daughter naturally fell asleep before 8pm, even though we didn't do any sleep training....
Nagata:Ehhhh! How is that possible? No, I guess it was only possible because I properly adjusted my rhythm on a daily basis. Still, it's amazing!
rice field used to grow crops:He has cried very little at night since he was 6 months old, which has really helped.
Nagata:I guess that's because the parents are already firm. I'm in the fourth grade of elementary school and I still don't go to bed (laughs).
rice field used to grow crops:Just as many of my and my wife's friends' children are my daughter's age, and when we talk about childcare, our daughter is a rarity. I am just so thankful for my daughter!
Housework and childcare should be shared by those who can do it when they can.
Nagata:Is there a detailed division of housework and childcare?
rice field used to grow crops:That part might be pretty vague and relaxed. It is an agreement that whoever is able to do so will do so when they are able to do so.
Nagata:I think it tends to be the case that only one person is doing it if the style is to do it when you can. It is amazing how well it works. In our family, I'm the lazy one and my wife is the strong one, and through trial and error, we have come to the point where we keep the schedule on a whiteboard and take pictures with a camera when necessary. However, we may be able to roughly divide up the household chores.
rice field used to grow crops:It is wonderful that it is done so naturally! Come to think of it, I never really thought about it, but I'm only in charge of the maintenance of home appliances such as air conditioners and robot vacuum cleaners.
Nagata:It's a natural thing for me to lift heavy things like the sofa and my wife to vacuum there. I am glad that my wife disciplined me before the child was born (laughs). As for the changes after the child was born, the pet problem is quite big in our house. We have two rodents called "degus," which are bigger than hamsters and smaller than squirrels, and it takes about two hours to clean their cages.
rice field used to grow crops:(Searching for Degu) Cute...
Nagata:My wife naturally understood that it would take two hours to clean that rat, and she was like, "Well, I'll do other chores during that time.
rice field used to grow crops:Ne, rat!
Nagata:We don't have a proper family meeting like Mr. Fukuda, and it is a challenge to know when to talk about hard things as a family. Still, I think we are a couple that communicates well as a couple.
rice field used to grow crops:There is a certain amount of housework and childcare that is done because of good communication between husband and wife, isn't there?
(2) The mindset of work also applies to child rearing.
Dads may be more nervous than you think? The Problem
Nagata:How have your household chores changed since the birth of your child?
rice field used to grow crops:When we got married, my wife suggested that we have partner meetings based on "Futari-Kaigi", a dialogue support application by "I like you" Co. We have continued to do so even after the birth of our child, and I think it is thanks to this that I honestly don't feel any difficulty in raising our child. I wonder if it is simply the fact that I have more tasks to do now that I have more dishes to do for my daughter. It could be laundry or small plates for my daughter's meals.
Nagata:There is certainly more work to be done, isn't there? How did you solve that?
rice field used to grow crops:This also applies to work, but it is important to clearly define what is important within the limited time available. For example, I can say, "I will take care of the children's meals, but I will cut corners in a good sense," but I can also say, "I will take care of the adults' meals, but I will cut corners in a good sense.
Nagata:When you have a child, you inevitably have more things to do, so you balance it out with a good spoonful.
rice field used to grow crops:Another thing I realized is that I was surprisingly nervous. This became more pronounced after my daughter was born. For example, when I was using baby bottles, I had to clean the nipples very meticulously. Because I love my daughter so much, I have become more sensitive to hygiene.
Nagata:I totally understand. Even at the park, when a child drops a piece of candy, I sometimes see scenes where it is the dad who goes to the water tap and washes it properly. Of course, it depends on the individual, but I have heard some fathers say that they don't know how much they have to do to be sure. But I think it's a good thing that the percentage of fathers committing themselves to childcare is increasing.
What is the connection between work and housework/childcare?
rice field used to grow crops:I think that this basic practice of getting the hardest things done first also applies to child-rearing. I try to get the administrative documents, day-care center submissions, and other things that seem like a hassle done first (laughs).
Nagata:That is also very good.
rice field used to grow crops:I also think that the idea of setting priorities and working in order of priority in housework and childcare also comes from the way we think when we work.
Nagata:It is important to set priorities for everything you do. Otherwise, you will panic because you have to do this and that. Whether or not you have that sorted out has a lot to do with stress-free childcare.
(iii) It is important to nip each other's stress in the bud early.
Does the environment in which you grew up have anything to do with how you raise your children?
Nagata:What kind of child were you when you were little, Mr. Fukuda?
rice field used to grow crops:She greeted everyone with a smile and seemed to be the kind of girl who often received things like Chinese cabbage and mandarin oranges from her neighbors (laughs).
Nagata:I was the child who always turned to the side and talked during class, and even my graduation album is like a picture of me facing sideways (laughs). (Laughs) By the way, is your current child-rearing environment similar to the one you grew up in?
rice field used to grow crops:My family's house had been a judo hall since my grandfather's generation, and my father was the master of the house and had a strong hierarchical relationship with his family, which was "the Showa era. I had an older sister and an older brother, so I was always trying to find ways to avoid being scolded by my father. I am still very grateful to my father and mother, and although our views on child-rearing may differ slightly, I hope that my daughter will grow up in an environment where she can do what she likes freely and uninhibitedly, while observing the minimum standards of politeness.
Nagata:I understand that very much. In my family, my father strongly wanted me to have the same career as he did, and I was able to bounce back from that and become the person I am today. So I want to respect my daughter's wishes and let her develop what she likes.
rice field used to grow crops:I can't say for sure right now what kind of child I want her to become, but I do want to broaden her options. I would be happy if she can find something she likes and can work hard at by working on various things.
Nagata:I understand. I try to respect my daughter's wishes without being overbearing unless it is something critical. And hopefully she will learn to see things in terms of mechanism, cause and effect, and mechanism of action.
The Fukuda family's unique ideas sublimated into humor
Nagata:I'm going back a bit, but I'm wondering what you are doing about the irregular issues that cannot be covered in the first partner meeting you mentioned.
rice field used to grow crops:If I do something wrong in dealing with my children, my wife sometimes says, "I'll tell you later," without being told at the time....
Nagata:Oh, that's like a death sentence. (laughs) If it were me, I'd be so worried that I wouldn't be able to sleep. Sometimes I feel like I just stepped on a land mine. Sometimes I can tell that my wife is thinking, "I don't agree with this, but let's just let it slide"....
rice field used to grow crops:That's right... (grunts)
Nagata:It bothers me, so I try as much as possible to ask at the time and resolve the issue, in our case. Maybe it is because we have accumulated this experience since we got married that we do not have many fights.
rice field used to grow crops:We will have fights, that's just human nature. The response to such a situation is actually..........................................which happened the other day.
Nagata:What is it? I am interested.
rice field used to grow crops:There are times in our daily lives when we inevitably get irritated, when we are at the peak of our angst. I have always wanted to turn my anger into laughter instead of lashing out. So, as a way of expressing that I am angry, I hold up my index finger and say to the other person, "Mmmmmm... ！！！！. I am sure it is only in our family. It must be just in our family (laughs).
Nagata:Aaaaah!!!
rice field used to grow crops:You turn your anger against them for a moment, just for the fun of it. It's a kind of peace.
Nagata:Even in the baby tech industry, it is very important to digest small negative emotions while they are still small. I've been told that by solving small ones before they happen with small solutions, we prevent big explosions. It was a very interesting talk today. Thank you very much!
I was impressed by Ms. Fukuda's smiling face as she talked with us from beginning to end. I thought that because she places great importance on her relationship with her partner and because they have built a trusting relationship, they are able to manage both housework and childcare and work without feeling dissatisfied with each other. I will actively try to adopt Ms. Fukuda's humor and ideas that turn anger into laughter.
(Momoko Ohsone)
Mr. Fukuda, who is the owner of the company that provides the service featured in this article, runs the company.CreativePocket CorporationClick here to visit the website of
https://creative-pocket.co.jp/
https://memorico.jp/otete/
Interview: Tetsuya Nagata
Photography and Writing: Momoko Ohsone
Biz x iku" (Biz Iku), my style of childcare and work
Shinya Fukuda, CreativePocket Corporation