A local headteacher said recently that what was most important for each of his pupils was: “the right to be child”.
The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959, states: “The child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care”.
We, the parents and carers, naturally aim to build in these special safeguards and care, appropriate to age and maturity, in our parenting. But it is not always easy nowadays.
Our families are bombarded by all sorts of images and words at the touch of a button, so it is hard to protect and safeguard our children from inappropriate material, but it is of paramount importance that we do.
Watchfulness is the key. The pure being of the child is very sensitive, with mind and senses wide open, ever ready to receive whatever is presented. The young child has no ability to discriminate so as to filter out the bad. It all goes in. So, we must ensure that everything that comes to the child is fine. good and true.
By providing good materials and good company, getting the good in first, we are helping our child to develop sound judgment and positive values. Then he or she can grow up to be a caring human being, sensible, reliable and compassionate.
