Blog

Children’s Day – Childhood is about Joy and freedom

Today the Children’s Day will be celebrated to increase the awareness of people towards the rights, care and education of children. It’s no surprise that this important part of children’s life & parenting will be debated in the media. Many will celebrate & endorse the rights of underprivileged children over social media, but the question remains… Does this hullabaloo help to get children their rights? Does our child have freedom or the kid is moving around the so-called ‘frame of freedom’ decided by parents? Being Parent do we give liberty to our children to live their life free? Or the child lives in anxiety & fear under the roof? Do we respect their fundamental rights or the rights are shorn off in the name of discipline? Do we accept them without discrimination? And much more. It is time for a reckoning.

We take care of our children; we feed them, provide clothes, toys and much more that doesn’t mean we are respecting & conserving their rights. We must consider prominently about their emotions, their thoughts & their expectations. Children also do have liberties and rights like grownups. But children are more fragile and vulnerable than adults. So, until they become adults, the privileges of children are more controlled to safeguard their safety and well-being. Parents act by controlling their children’s lives and also their activities. This is not the best approach for children because it makes them feel anxious.

In every family children usually, have very little expectations. Their natural learning, freedom to express themselves & participation are some of the elementary rights of children. But are parents really aware and sensitive about these rights? If the answer is no then who will fight for these rights?

I certainly don’t pretend to have the answers. Rather each family has to work out for itself.

Parents must maintain the equilibrium between their parental rights & the rights of their child to participate according to his or her evolving capacities. Children are considered as God’s gift to their parents. They are adorable and shine same like the precious gems. They are innocent, admirable, and pure and loved by everyone. If we love our children and want them to thrive, we must allow them more time and liberty. Parents should support and not just condemn or control children from doing anything they want. 

What to do?

Let them express:

Irrespective of age every child has his/her thoughts, opinion & emotions. They have their own way of expression like playing, dancing, singing, shouting, crying, or any other annoying method. Children are more comfortable with the familiar environment that is their own home. It is essential that we create space and opportunities for them to express their feelings – in doing so – unlock their potential.

Let them learn naturally & happily:

Education is also the right of children. To my mind, however, we must think out of the box – the education beyond the schooling.  Children’s learning should not be limited to school. Learning should be fun; if it’s not fun, it’s not learning. Children have a natural learning process. Responding to a material is their natural learning process. Children learn & experience the material by their senses & love to learn actively. Early childhood development can help them to be creative, critical thinkers and problem-solvers. All we need to do now is to make sure that they have the opportunities to do so. Let them have fun and let their imagination and creativity run wild!

Let them participate:

Child’s participation impacts positively on their development. It increases self-esteem and self-belief; a child’s confidence is likely to grow by giving the opportunity to express views, and considering those views seriously. Through contributing, children develop a greater sense of responsibility, which in turn can have a positive impact on their future behaviour and involvement

Let’s teach our kids to love themselves, and use applause instead of punishment. What better way to celebrate Children’s Day this year than by allowing the children themselves take the stage! 

Tags: Childrens care, childrens Day, childrens right, Freedom to children, Teaching the children, upbringing children