Protection against freedom

Exodus Williams

Brooklyn College

Children’s Perspectives 20

Spring 2010

Protection against freedom

As a woman who may one day have children-an opinion that has changed as a result of this class, I think about the things I tell children presently as well as the reactions children have to the worries about their parents. This mostly happens when I am babysitting a niece, a nephew, or a friend’s child in my community. Many children that I meet are often worried about the safety and well being of their parents. I think this is because we in this country are too busy safeguarding our children and not allowing them to be children. In addition, in turn they are internalizing the strife of today’s climate. It is my belief that children are little sponges and soak up whatever is around them. Therefore, if the environment that the child is in is an environment that fosters positive and constructive learning then that child will have structure within a positive learning environment and in tune acquire more.

 I often censor my language around children not out of shame, but out of respect for the young mind. I find myself still wanting to explain to children what is going on around them, because there is so much happening to them, around them and for them however I am not sure if this is too much to share. Since I am not a medical, professional I cannot determine what is too much for a child to ascertain and again I cannot determine what is not enough for them to grasp. Children are so malleable and willing if you show them the way to learn whatever you put in front of them they will take it and run. It is understood when working with children you must be careful to not expose them to, too much before their time. I understand those that say that they want to protect the minds of the children from certain subject and ideas. In addition, in the same breath I understand the position of those that say to hinder a child from learning is blasphemous.

My position is I do not quite know where I stand. I do know that the United States Convention on the Rights of Child is a document that considers both positions. Some of the articles that appeal to me are Article 12 (Freedom of Opinion) because this helps the child begin to shape his or her own character as well as develop his or her own mind. This development helped with the resources that according to the CRC is available to child as well as their families. Article 14 (Freedom of thought, Conscience and Religion), it is my belief that not every child that is born to every parent is of the same religious path as their parents. I believe that every living organism should be able to find the religion that best fits them, not one that is forced upon them, and lastly Article 24 (Health) it is so important to have a healthy body, mind and spirit. If you do not have these things in your everyday life, it makes life extremely difficult. When a child’s health is not important then nothing else is as important. What I have witnessed, a direct result of lack of basic health care the motivation of the child drops to zero. No child should have to experience life without medical coverage.

These articles speak to the inquisitive nature of the child and how the child will respond to exposure to education if fostered in a positive environment. They also clearly speak to intellectual foundation as well as mental and physical health. Things you need in order to have sustainability in life. Those who say it is the job of the adult to only, protect the child from the world are in some respects hindering the child from learning all he or she can. It is my belief this type of censoring cuts the child from being inquisitive.

I know when I was a child I wanted to know everything I possibly could know, so much so that my mother would tell people please do not get her started she will “why you too death!” This is true as a child I would let my imagination run and I filled it with the books, cartoon characters, and dreams of my childhood. All things my mother took the time to introduce to me. Simple childhood things like making shapes out of the clouds, I took for granted as a part of the childhood experience. However, today’s children do not have the simplicity of time to stare at the clouds or to run around the block or get grass stains on their “good clothes.” Today’s children are too busy with figuring out if they are ready to have a substantial voice for policy makers to hear, and understand and to really take into consideration.

The two arguments presented are really what is an adult and what is a child and how do you distinguish between the two. In the article “Right to a Child: A Philosophical Approach”, the author writes   

“If we have difficulty trying to decide the proper balance of protectionist versus liberationist rights-and we do-, at heart of that difficulty is the attempt to distinguish child from adult simply on the basis of chronological age. (Ladd 96)”

What is being stated is the child cannot be simply made an adult by his chronological age, nor can the same child be denied adult access if his experience and socialization dictates his ability to have said adult voice.

The author goes on to write:

“This releases the minor from the restrictions of childhood and confers all the rights and duties of adulthood (Ladd 96)”

Unfortunately for some children, they do not have the opportunity to have a childhood. The adults around them strip their childhood away from them. There are some circumstances that dictate the child be the parent. This is especially true in developing nations that might not have as much access as we have here in the United States.

All in the all the conclusion is that the children are the future of our nation, and because of this, we need to be very liberally protective of their movements. We as adults cannot cloud their experience with the harsh realities of our own individual experiences. We can be mentors, to them, help guide, and facilitate a better experience for them and their generation. Nevertheless, what we must be weary about doing is influencing them too much that the children loose sight of there own experience. We have a duty to the children of the future to keep them out of harms way so that they can have a childhood. So that the children can stare at the clouds, scrap their knees, get grass stains and most of all experience all of the things that are associated with being a child.