kscans

Chapter 197 - A Regular Event

During lunch break on the day after our short trip, the parents of the children who had participated were gathered in the large room we use for training seminars. It was for the debriefing session we always hold after these trips. At first, it was just me saying a thing or two to the parents of the kids I was personally concerned about, but before I realized it, this had become a regular event.

"Alright, it looks like everyone's here, so for the debriefing... but before that."

The moms and dads all tilted their heads with a quizzical "Hm?", and I spoke up.

"Hey, um, when you run out of things to talk about, can we stop using Satou-kun as the go-to topic?" ≪Ugh≫

The parents who knew what I meant averted their gazes awkwardly. It was just as I'd expected. Or rather, just as I'd feared. They were the slightly clumsy type of employees. They have no problem talking with other adults, though.

"I get it. I get that you don't know what to talk about with your own kids. So I can sort of understand why you'd want to use me as a common, easy topic of conversation."

But that's no good. I mean, it's fine by me. If it helps lubricate communication, then whatever. But you can't rely on it completely.

"It gets old, you know."

"B, but... it's a surefire way to get them all excited..."

"That's because, lucky for you, I happen to be a guy who never runs out of things to talk about."

But you know, people usually get tired of the same topic being brought up over and over. They start thinking, oh, this again. My stories might work for now, but if you overuse them, eventually they'll just become boring.

"Th, then what am I supposed to talk about with my son!?"

"Figure it out yourself, Dad... is what I'd like to say, but just leaving you hanging would be a bit harsh, so I'll give you a few pointers."

First off, all of you who are struggling for topics to discuss with your kids are overthinking it. You try too hard to get a laugh, and that just complicates things. Conversations with family aren't something where you have to aim for a hit every single time.

"For example, let's see, you could talk about food."

"Food, you say?"

"That's right. Like, 'Dad had a katsudon for lunch, and it was delicious. How about you? What did you have for school lunch today?'"

Something like that. It doesn't matter if what you had was a miss instead of a hit. You could say, 'You know, Dad tried a new place, but it was a total bust... How about you? Was today's school lunch any good?'

"I, I see."

"We all ate school lunch too, so you can use that as a common topic, right?"

Things might be different now compared to back in our day. Well then, you can expand the conversation by talking about those differences.

"You can spin it any number of ways with stories you have in common. Like, 'You know, whenever we had fried fish for school lunch, I'd get so bummed out. So many bones, and it had that fishy smell... But if you didn't finish it, the teacher would get really mad, right? So I had to pinch my nose and eat it.'"

You can take it in either direction, with favorite meals or disliked ones.

"B, but Manager Satou... isn't talking about food you dislike a bit bad for their education?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's like saying it's okay for moms and dads to have been picky eaters too."

"You idiot, that's where you embellish the story a little."

Say something like, you really hated it, but you never left it on your plate. Why? Because there was this kid who would taunt you, saying things like, 'What, you can't even eat that?'

"So you worked hard to eat it because you didn't want him making fun of you, and before you knew it, you weren't a picky eater anymore, or something."

I lectured them on a few other patterns for expanding a conversation using disliked foods as a theme.

"...This guy's methods for developing a conversation are insane."

"Now that he says it, it makes sense, but the fact that it comes to him so naturally just proves how crazy his communication skills are."

"Satou-kun, what else have you got?"

"Yes, please! I want to build a structure deck I can use for parent-child bonding talks!"

Why do moms and dads become so clumsy when it comes to their own kids? You guys aren't that incompetent.

"Have your kids give a presentation on something they like." ≪Have them present on something they like...?≫

"Talking isn't just about you bringing up topics."

The joy of speaking, the joy of listening, that's the real pleasure of conversation.

"Let's see... raise your hand if you used to read a lot of manga back in the day, but at some point you just stopped."

A few hands went up in response to my question. This is your chance. This is totally your chance.

"In that case, try asking them this. 'What kind of manga are kids these days reading?' or 'Hey, do you have any manga you like?'"

...Maybe I should flesh out the opening a little more.

"If they ask, 'Why all of a sudden?', you can answer like this. 'Well, I had to go to the bookstore for something, and I stopped by on my way home. I happened to notice the manga section, and it made me think about how I used to read a lot, but I haven't in a long time.'"

And from there, you say that it made you want to read some manga for the first time in a while, but you don't know what's popular these days. You thought about looking it up online, but you figured hearing it from a real person would be more helpful.

"...No wonder he gets all the attention at hostess clubs."

"...He's got money, and on top of that, he's a smooth talker."

"...There are quite a few girls in our department who say they think the Manager is nice, you know."

"Alright, alright, I'm going to continue the lesson, okay?"

Having your kids present something they like. I'm sure you can all understand this if you think back to when you were children yourselves.

"Didn't you ever desperately try to tell your parents about a manga, anime, or tokusatsu show you found interesting, even though they didn't really get it?"

"Well..."

"Looking back on it objectively now, your dad and mom probably didn't understand it all that well, but they had gentle smiles on their faces, didn't they?"

A child, trying their best to convey what they love with a clumsy explanation. Even if you aren't interested in the content of the story itself, it warms your heart, and your expression naturally softens.

"Oh, but even if you're not interested, make sure you remember the details of what they say, okay? It'll connect to something later."

"Later?"

"Yep. Wait a week or so, and then buy some merchandise from that series and bring it home."

Tell them you happened to see it at a place you stopped by. That you bought it because you remembered them saying they liked it.

"You should check beforehand if they already have it, but if you do end up getting a duplicate, this is what you do. If they say 'I already have that,' look all dejected and say, '...Sorry. I just got excited and bought it on impulse without checking.'"

Now, go back to your childhood self and think. If you saw your parents acting like that when you were a kid, what would you think?

"...I'd probably think, 'Well, it can't be helped,' and my heart would feel a little warm."

"Right? If they don't have it, they'll be happy. If they do, you can still salvage the situation. Oh, and it goes without saying, but don't overuse this tactic."

"Well, yes. Giving them too many things isn't good for their education, after all."

"There's that, but if they start taking it for granted, this kind of approach loses its effectiveness."

It works because you do it once in a while. That's why it makes them happy.

"Oh, right. Make sure you talk it over with your wife or husband beforehand. Explain that this is your intention, that it's an expense for a communication tool and not you spoiling them. And when you give it to the child, have your partner play the bad cop. Have them scold the thoughtless mom or dad. But nothing too harsh. A light jab is enough. It's best to end it with a wry smile, like, 'honestly, what am I going to do with you.'"

It's not good to create a gap in affection between the mother and father. And it's also a problem if things get tense between the couple.

"...You know, I feel like the Manager could charge a fee for his talks."

"He could probably make a killing if he started giving seminars on this stuff."

"Hey, no private conversations over there!"

...Seriously, what am I even doing at my own company?