Providing drink/snack

I have learned that Japan has a culture of providing drinks and snacks whenever a guest or friend visits. My question is, would this also apply for a hired worker?

We contacted a company to provide a kateikyoushi (university student) for our children. The lessons have been roughly 1 - 2 times per week (currently 2 times/wk) for 1 - 2 hours (varies depending on our schedules).

My Japanese in-law (older generation) deems it appropriate to serve tea and snack every time, or at the very least, for the longer sessions.

I know it's very omotenashi and I agree that it is a kind thing to do. But I am just wondering if the majority of other Japanese families would be doing the same thing?

In that case, I would say yes unless you're hiring from an agent with a different policy.

For one thing, wouldn't your children need the drink/snack at the middle of the session? I don't think children (or any human being) can focus on studying for more than an hour. The drink/snack would be a good excuse to let everybody take a rest, get to know each other, and also for you to see if they're seriously doing their job.

Another thing is that, in Japan, you're not educated to eat while studying. When you study you study, and when you eat you eat. You don't do it together. So, it's not like you bring things of your own and eat/drink while you wait for someone to write an answer to a test.

If the sessions are much shorter, I guess you can skip the drink/snack, but if you serve a glass at the end of the session, it would be a good opportunity to ask how the kids are doing and to get to know the young person. That's what private tutors are all about as opposed to sending them off to a juku. The drink/snack doesn't have to be anything fancy.

But I am just wondering if the majority of other Japanese families would be doing the same thing?

Actually, you should be asking this question to other parents of your children's school. It would be a good opportunity to get to talk to them.

Here's some more info.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%E5%AE%B6%E5%BA%AD%E6%95%99%E5%B8%AB%E...

That would be just common courtesy to serve something light when you have a guest no?
Japanese or not?

your thought only focuses on "hired" or "not hired".
but, in this case, that hired person is 先生.
you just have no respect for that person, although he/she HELP you something you CAN'T do by yourself.

you need to learn the technique how to USE other persons.

everytime i did some tutoring (not in japan) they at least asked if I would like a drink and most provided some sort of snack. (cookies, fruits what ever).

but I guess it might be also a cultural thing because I was even told to offer something to drink to handyman and stuff when the come by...

I was even told to offer something to drink to handyman and stuff when the come by...

When watching foreign movies, I often see housewives offering drinks to the handyman, especially in older times, so I don't necessarily think it's culturally unique to Japan.

But nowadays, companies here in Japan would have FAQs on their websites or pass out notices mentioning that there is no need to offer drink/snack to their employees. I suppose this is easier done these days, because the handymen can easily walk to a convenience store to buy them. They can even buy lunch, and go to the restroom there. They don't even have to ask where the store is, because it's right there on their smartphones.

I think of it that humans need drink/snack once every hour or so, if they're working at something. I'd wonder how tutors fits in there, since they don't have the freedom to abandon the student and go buy something. You'd also want your child to take a break, and it would be hard or it doesn't really make sense to give your child something without offering anything to the person sitting next to the child.