Children’s Day - can we do something more?

Yesterday was the World Children’s Day - my five year old daughter came home from school, happy that she got to participate in activities related to World Children’s Day. From media to institutions, everyone remembered that yesterday indeed was an important day. And yes, the kids at least had fun. But what about the rest of the year - do we remember the children, their problems and the issues that mar them, demoralize them and traumatize them everyday?

In my book, children need a special day only to highlight the focus on them - as a country, our wealth, our future, our very existence is our children. We need to be able to keep communication lines open, our eyes and ears wide open the rest of the year too. After all, the children need us 24/7.

As parents, teachers and elders in society, what more can we do for children that is not being done? I was recently reading on line about a set of parents who left their five year old son and two year old daughter alone at home and went away, just like that - the Police could not find the parents so the courts assigned the parentless children to foster homes. What about children such as these two bewildered kids who simply cannot comprehend why their parents left them the way they did?

Children’s Rights

If children could talk as much as adults on mass media, I am sure they would tell stories that would move us as a society to take a good look within. Children are helpless and usually cave in to the commands of an adult, that’s why it is easier for scheming adults to abuse children in secret for years, sometimes, before they are caught. In most instances, we merely pay lip service to children’s Rights and obligations - how often do we actually get on the streets and test those Rights in action?

Increasingly, more and more children face emotional and physical trauma right in the confines of their own home. Such children turn out to be troubled, emotionally unbalanced adults who usually wreck their own lives. They need therapy, counselling and attention but how often do they get it? Often, they just suffer it out, growing into adults who hold grudges against society. What can we do on an on going basis for such children?

There are children who are exploited and sold by their own parents or relatives for profit and gain. There are children who must work alongside adults to make ends meet. Some have to give up schooling to find employment - some have had to step into the shoes of an absent or a dead parent earlier than they could understand the weight of the role they are taking on.

Although child abuse carries heavy penalties, how many cases actually come to light? For every child whose plight is found out and the perpetrators dealt with, there are hundreds more who are regularly abused and traumatized merely because an adult holds power over them. We live in a sick society that has no boundaries of shame, respect or honour. In such a setting, children become the most vulnerable set of individuals whose Rights are not respected as much as they are talked about.

Exchange of ideas

Can we extend the rhetoric to cover the balance 363 days? Can we truly assure ourselves that we have indeed strived to do the best we can for our children - or is there more than we can do as a nation, as a society? Are there issues we need to address on a daily basis - can we form better protective rings around our children who can so easily be abused?

These are the questions we need to ask ourselves. While celebrating World Children’s Day is good and fun for the children, what more can we do? What more can we do everyday - not just self-satisfying photo opportunities but actual hands-on activities that we can take to the doorstep of children who need our help.

As a society, can we start by listening more to our children - not letting their voices drown out because we are busy or occupied with other things. In this busy world, children have been given so many tasks to achieve and the parents themselves are equally busy but can we start by listening to what they have to say. Often, a child who communicates satisfactorily with his parents will not hesitate to share his or her fears, dreams and ideas, giving both parties a wonderful forum for exchange of ideas and the establishment of a dialogue. The child will not fear what strangers could do or say; the child will always hold the relationship, the bond she/he has formed with his/her parents as his/her lifeline.

Let us keep the balance of this year child-focused. Let us try to do something bigger and better and remember what makes World Children’s Day special by remembering our children and their needs for the rest of the year as well.