Although he had a long sleep in the afternoon, his fever didn't go down.
Since he slept too much, he was not able to sleep any more.
He who was lying on the futon in the Japanese room said:
"Can I go to the living room? I don't want to speak in a loud voice when I want to ask mom something. And the living room is cooler than here."
I thought he couldn't sleep anymore and said:
"OK. I will bring your pillow and blanket, so you should lie on the sofa."
My 6-year-old daughter was watching TV at the living room, so he started watching TV together while lying on the sofa.
Then I started doing laundry.
About 30 minutes after, my husband suddenly came home to take a thing left behind.
He asked my son:
"Are you OK?"
I said:
"He has still a fever now."
"Why are you watching TV? You have to sleep at the Japanese room, don't you?"
He told my son.
"Because he has already slept too long. He can't sleep any more. Sleeping all day makes us tired. And the Japanese room is hotter than here. That's why he is here."
I explained to him why he was at the living room.
My husband said strongly:
"But how long have you been watching TV? It makes you get tired. You have to go to the Japanese room and sleep. I don't want to spend a time with him whom was an energetic patient tomorrow!"
He went to work again.
I was irritated to hear that.
In fact, I asked him to take a day off today if my son didn't recover his cold because I already took a day off yesterday.
I usually ask my mother to come our house and take care of my children when they are sick.
But she went on the trip yesterday and I didn't know whether she could come to our house today.
Furthermore, I don't want to be absent from work anymore because our company is suffered from the labor shortage.
He might try to finish his work to take a day off today, and it made him busier yesterday.
Maybe he was annoyed to see his behavior because he thought our son didn't try to recover his cold.
But he didn't know how long our son was sleeping in the afternoon.
"An energetic patient" means the state which my son has a fever but it isn't so high.
He has to be absent from school because he has a fever, but he is energetic and he wants to play with somebody.
My husband didn't want to take a day off to take care of our son who is in such a situation.
But I think it is also parent's duty to take care of our children who have a fever but also energetic.
I told our children:
"Stop watching TV now. As your dad said, you should take a rest. You can stay here in the living room, but you should lie down on the sofa, OK?"
I turned off TV.
My daughter complained about it, but I didn't allow it.
I know what he said makes sense, but I think to take care of children is parent's duty.
It is not only mother's duty.
Easy to say, hard to do.
When children are sick, most of Japanese fathers don't want to take a day off to take care of their children and they tend to think it is usual that mothers take care of their children.
I think it is really strange.
Actually, my husband takes care of our children well.
But it is still far from the true gender equality in Japan.
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Hello Kumi-san,
ReplyDeleteIt is a good job you are skilled at handling family conflicts, I am not sure I would be able to deal with them as well as you did.
Here is a list of some of the issues found with the rest of the post:
Part 1:
This line:
He who was lying on the futon in the Japanese room said:
Should be:
He was lying on the futon in the Japanese room and said:
Reason: Removed "who" as it was not needed and makes the sentence sound very old fashioned. Added filler word "and" to make slightly more grammatically correct and clear. You could also I think leave off the "and" and used a comma instead. But I am not a grammar expert so I leave the decision up to you.
This line:
"Can I go to the living room? I don't want to speak in a loud voice when I want to ask mom something. And the living room is cooler than here."
Should be:
"Can I go to the living room? I don't want to shout when I want to ask mom something. And the living room is cooler than here."
Reason: Changed "speak in a loud voice" with "shout" as this sounds more natural in English. Note: Shout when used this way does not imply anger or aggression just that someone is speaking loudly or in a raised manner.
Question: In your original sentence you say that your son said "I want to ask mom something". In English we would replace "mom" with "you" because it is your son that is talking to you". But I know that "you" is word you try to avoid using in Japanese. So when your son was talking to you did he use the Japanese equivalent word for mother to avoid using you?
This line:
"OK. I will bring your pillow and blanket, so you should lie on the sofa."
Should be:
"OK. I will bring your pillow and blanket, so you can lie on the sofa."
Reason: Changed "should" to "can" as this sounds more natural.
This line:
My 6-year-old daughter was watching TV at the living room, so he started watching TV together while lying on the sofa.
Should be:
My 6-year-old daughter was watching TV in the living room, so he started watching TV together while lying on the sofa.
Reason: "at the living room" was changed to "in the living room". I cannot give you a reason why it sound wrong but in this case it just does.
Examples:
I watched at the window as the snow fell (sounds correct)
I watched from the window as the snow fell (sounds correct)
I watched in the window as the snow fell (sounds slightly wrong)
I read the newspaper in the living room (sounds correct)
I read the newspaper at the living room (sounds wrong)
I listened to the noise coming from the living room (sounds correct)
I listened to the noise in the living room (sounds correct)
I listened to the noise at the living room (sounds wrong)
This line:
About 30 minutes after, my husband suddenly came home to take a thing left behind.
Should be:
About 30 minutes (after this/after that/later), my husband suddenly came home to take a thing he left behind.
Reason: Added extra filler words to make sentence sound more natural.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteThis line:
"He has still a fever now."
Should be:
"He still has fever."
Reason: Word order changed, and removed now as it was not needed.
This line:
"Why are you watching TV? You have to sleep at the Japanese room, don't you?"
Should be:
"Why are you watching TV? You have to sleep in the Japanese room, don't you?"
Reason: Changed "at" to "in" as it is in the location of the Japanese room.
This line:
I explained to him why he was at the living room.
Should be:
I explained to him why he was in the living room.
This line:
"But how long have you been watching TV? It makes you get tired. You have to go to the Japanese room and sleep. I don't want to spend a time with him whom was an energetic patient tomorrow!"
Reason: I am not sure how to interpret the sentence above. Do you mean:
"But how long have you been watching TV? If it makes you tired, you should go to the Japanese room and sleep. I don't watch to spend time with someone who will be full of energy tomorrow!"
This line:
In fact, I asked him to take a day off today if my son didn't recover his cold because I already took a day off yesterday.
Should be:
In fact, I asked him to take a day off today if my son didn't recover from his cold because I already took a day off yesterday.
Reason: Added filler word "from".
This line:
But she went on the trip yesterday and I didn't know whether she could come to our house today.
Should be:
But she went on a trip yesterday and I didn't know whether she could come to our house today.
Reason: Changed "the" to "a" as this sounds more natural.
This line:
Furthermore, I don't want to be absent from work anymore because our company is suffered from the labor shortage.
Should be:
Furthermore, I don't want to be absent from work anymore because our company is suffering from a labor shortage.
Reason: Changed "is suffered" to "is suffering" as the shortage is still currently happening, also changed "from the" to "from a" as this sounds more natural.
This line:
He might try to finish his work to take a day off today, and it made him busier yesterday.
Should be:
He might have tried to finish his work to take a day off today, and it made him busier yesterday.
This line:
Maybe he was annoyed to see his behavior because he thought our son didn't try to recover his cold.
Should be:
Maybe he was annoyed to see his behavior because he thought our son didn't try to recover from his cold.
Reason: Added filler word "from"
Part 3:
ReplyDeleteThis line:
But I think it is also parent's duty to take care of our children who have a fever but also energetic.
Should be:
But I think it is also a parent's duty to take care of our children who have a fever but are also energetic.
Reason: Added filler words to make sentence sound more natural.
This line:
I turned off TV.
Should be:
I turned off the TV.
Reason: Added the filler word "the"
This line:
I know what he said makes sense, but I think to take care of children is parent's duty.
Should be:
I know what he said makes sense, but I think it is both parent's duty to take care of children.
Reason: Word order changes and added word both to indicate that you think it is the duty of both parents to look after children.
This line:
When children are sick, most of Japanese fathers don't want to take a day off to take care of their children and they tend to think it is usual that mothers take care of their children.
Should be:
When children are sick, most Japanese fathers don't want to take a day off to take care of their children and they tend to think it is usual that mothers take care of their children.
Reason: removed "of" as it was not needed.
This line:
But it is still far from the true gender equality in Japan.
Should be:
But it is still far from true gender equality in Japan.
Reason: Removed word "the" as it is not needed.