Japanese Lessons

I've started collecting Japanese phrases and idioms related to babies and parenthood.

目に入れても痛くな胃(Me ni irete mo itakunai): Even if I put you in my eye, it doesn't hurt. More generally translated as the apple of my eye

イクメン (Ikumen): This combines the Japanese verb for raising a child and the English word for men.  It's a new word to describe not just stay at home dads, but more generally, modern men who are more involved in raising children. 

A real ikumen's ikumen.

おなかを痛め子(Onaka o itame ko): The child who made my belly hurt. Keep in mind the epidural rate in Japan is only about 3%.  

小さ生んで、大きく育つ(Chisaku unde, ookiku sodatsu): Born small, raise big. Alot of women get pressured not to gain too much weight during pregnancy. I assume this phrase is also related to the low epidural rate, where it's easier to have a natural delivery with a 6-7 pounder than with a heftier baby.

子は鎹(Ko ha kasugai): The child is the bond between parents.

一姫二太郎(Ichi hime ni tarou): Generally translated as "it's good to have a girl first and then a boy." Someone else suggested, "It's good to practice with a girl first, then have a boy." Somehow, I suspect the second translation is closer to the true meaning.

鳶が鷹を生む(Tonbi ga taka o umu): The black kite (a common bird?) can give birth to a hawk, or even plain parents can give birth to a genius child.

蛙の子は蛙 (Kaeru no ko ha kaeru): Literally, the frog's child is the frog, meaning like father, like son, or the apple does not fall far from the tree.

If she's the frog's child, who's the frog?

And finally:

親ばか (Oya baka): Literally, "parent stupid," referring to overly fond parents who believe that their child is the cutest, best child in the world. Lindsay is obviously the cutest, best child in the world and there's nothing oya baka about it.