「今の見た？」
少し離れた場所に座っていた園長が嬉しそうに話しかけてきた。
まるで初めてカブトムシを見つけた少年のような満面の笑み。
「え、ええ。見てました」
なぜそんなに嬉しそうなのか、理解できないまま僕は園長の隣に移動した。
「園長、見てたよー。むーちゃん（息子）がガーってやったの」
指の爪を立てて縦に動かせて見せた。
１歳の息子は大きなタライに入れられて、姉と姉の友達に押されてご満悦に遊んでいた。そこに２歳くらいの男の子がさっと入ってきた。
入ってきた瞬間、その子の顔を「ガー」ってやったのだ。
１歳児の力は大して痛くなかったと思われ、やられた子はケロっとしてタライに居座っている。
「あっほら、またやった！」
園長は、甲子園でタイムリーが生まれたかのように歓声をあげた。
息子は２歳の子をバシっと叩いていた。
体も大きく力も強い年上に対して、なんと自己主張の強い。
「勝手に入って来るな」という意思表示なのだろう。息子の攻撃のせいか、居心地が悪かったのか、その子はタライから出ていった。
「園長のところに相談にくるお母さんは、最初は子どもがやられて辛いってくるけど、何年か経つと子どもが他の子を叩いて辛いって相談にくるんだ。おもしろいね〜。自分がやられたのを、なんでみんなやるんだろうね〜」
「なるほど。たった今、実感しました」
園長にとっては、子どもの一挙手一投足がご馳走らしい。何があってどんな表現をするのか、その結果どうなったのか？なるほど。それらを追っていくほど子どもの本音が見えてくる。それがまだ刷り込みの少ない小さな子であればあるほど、素直でシンプルだ。それが園長の嬉しそうな表情の意味だったのだ。
その日の夕方、本州から友人夫婦が２歳の娘を連れてやってきた。目的はトモエ幼稚園への体験入園。
夜、食事後に子どもたちが大小2個のバランスボールで遊んでいた。
「小さいのが欲しい！」と泣く声。
友人の娘だ。
遊んでもいいんだよ、と言おうとしたら小さいボールには息子がつかまり立ちしていた。
しかも、笑いながらボールをバンバン叩いて威嚇。
お母さんが 「大きい方で遊んだら？」 と提案するも
「小さいのがいい！」 と泣きじゃくる。
「貸してって交渉してごらん」 と促され、母と一緒に息子のそばまで行くも、腕をバシッと叩かれあえなく号泣。
間もなく３歳の女の子。
４歳の娘とケンカすることは想像していたが、まさか１歳間もない息子とおもちゃの取り合いをすることになるとは。さらにいえば、まだ歩くことすらできない息子が年上の女の子を泣かすことなど全くの想定外。
泣かされた子のことは不憫に思いつつも、その場にいた大人たちは笑ってしまっていた。
なぜ息子はそこまで自己主張が激しいのか、ふと隣にいる妻の顔を眺めてみる。
まあ、遺伝ということもあるだろうが、やはりトモエ幼稚園での経験が大きいのかな。
トモエ幼稚園にはこんな張り紙がされている。
「感じる→考える→生きた言動」
というのがトモエ幼稚園園長の長年の考察だ。
こちらは、トモエのスタッフ研修で使われた教材。
本音→本音に基づいた行動→あるべき姿
これが安定した三角形を作る。
これを番的に理解すると
「あるべき姿→心地よい姿」
となるとさらにいいなと思う。
トモエ幼稚園は学年別にクラスが分かれているが、園内でクラスごとに行動することはほとんどない。年齢関係なく遊びたい子と遊びたい場所で自由に遊んでいる。生後１ヶ月の赤ちゃんから小学生、大人までと年齢層も実に幅広い。そして「〇〇しないの！」「〇〇しちゃ駄目！」と抑圧されることは、余程のことがない限りされることはない。その前提で育っている子どもたちはとても素直に自分を表現（喧嘩も含む）している。脳への刺激は相当なものだろう。
まだ１年ほどの短い人生の中で息子は
感じ、考え、生きた言動として、きちんと体得していたのだ。
バシッ！３歳上の姉にも息子は容赦なく主張する。
しかし、さすが姉には敵わない。
「やりすぎ」と親にたしなめられるほど、何倍にもなって返される。
やり場のない感情を全身で表現する息子。
…不満を感じると下唇がどんどんと出て来るクセは、僕譲りなのかもしれない。
※The First shot : by ayumi mozuna
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