子育て

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 子育て(こそだて) is a noun for child care or the continuing work of raising children.
• Basic usage: Balancing it with work appears in 仕事と子育てを両立する, while community support appears in 子育てを支える.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Children and the work of raising them
  • It names the continuing activity and responsibility of caring for children, not the children themselves.
• Individual and community
  • It can refer to a parent's own child-rearing or to child-rearing supported by an entire community.