It's actually pretty close to reality for a lot of cultures, especially Asians, that still center around religion and superstition. I'm of Malaysian-Chinese and Taiwanese descent and as a child, I had a habit of talking to air or opening doors for imaginary friends. I threw tantrums in unfamiliar spaces and would try to run away in the middle of the night. My family's solution to my eccentricities was going to our Buddhist master and praying for an amulet of the Four Faced Buddha, a god of protection. I've been wearing the amulet since I was a toddler and in my teenage years, she placed a White Umbrella mantra talisman in my wallet. Both of these things I still wear and carry around with me as a grown adult.
Oh my what a fucked up plot. Betting a small kid's life over a doll or some supernatural shit and also, decisions taken totally over a whim without the parent's consent and all. I couldn’t even pass 3 chapters after the rape happened and the uke was so super chill 'bout it having breakfast with his rapist the next day like....wow!