A toddler walks a kilometer to the grocery store, alone, to buy groceries for his family. A duo of tykes climbs hundreds of stairs to complete an errand for mom. Another toddler attempts to make juice for his parents while they farm outside. These scenarios really happened on the Japanese TV show "Old Enough!," created by Nippon TV in 1991 and now streaming for American audiences on Netflix.
Perhaps predictably, the depiction of very young children demonstrating remarkable self-sufficiency in traversing idyllic planned cities and towns has sparked debate on American parent forums and parenting blogs, which are abuzz about the show. Some are critical of the safety aspects of sending small children out by themselves. Others are perplexed by the toddlers' abilities to accomplish daunting tasks at a young age. And some parents are inspired.
