Who Will Help Our Children?

“The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children – their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialization, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the families and societies into which they are born.”- UNICEF

So, true are these words and how badly we are failing our kids. Recently, I read the report done by UNICEF in regards to the rankings of child welfare in 21 industrialized countries and I can’t honestly say that I was surprised at the findings.

Today, in our society the health and safety of kids are not a high priority for our government. In fact, maybe we focus too much on problems outside of our borders that we neglect the concerns of our very own people. We can spend billions on weapons of mass destruction, but we can’t provide health coverage for all kids. If you happen to fall into the category of not having insurance, then your entire life savings can be dwindled away in a matter of minutes. God only knows how many families prolong taking their kids to the doctors because of the fears of cost. So I have to say we seriously have to reconsider our whole take on health.

Education is one area where no matter whom you talk to still sees room for growth. We currently live in an area where the public schools are great but still many parents choose to send their kids to private schools because they get better education and its safer. Our public schools are way over crowded and teacher student ratio is a joke. For the most part our kids are not challenged enough, think about it most kindergarten kids at the age of four (and some like mine would at the age of five because of cut off dates) are going to school half day. I ask you how much can you challenge a kid in two hours? I have noticed that with my own kids that they are like sponges; can you imagine how much we are denying our kids by not giving them a solid foundation? Education is a really one area that needs tremendous help and I know in the past the issue of vouchers that allow parents to send their kids to the school of their choice had been brought up. I truly wish that instead it was put into place, we give enough money in taxes that we should be allowed to provide for our kids the very best education where we deem it best. And if public schools fear that allowing vouchers would reduce their numbers then the government really needs to figure out a way to make the schools more attractive for the parents: that is, they should start giving more and more importance to preparing our kids for the future and giving them a solid education.

Sense of being love, valued and included in families… wow that is a hard one especially since our society seems to think that you display your love for your child not by spending time with them but by buying them gifts. I was shocked to know that many kids (in the elementary schools) have cellphones so that the kids can reach their parents at anytime. Hello, if you’re working and always in the office what use is a cellphone. I understand it is important to work, but sometimes maybe if we started focusing on the basics and not try to keep up with the Jones’ we may provide a better foundation for our kids. Its a known fact that today so many kids are being raised in single family homes or with step siblings. All these factors do contribute to how our society has molded itself. Our sense of belonging not only in our community but in our homes have been comprised for many kids. Neglect is not only when a child is not fed, housed, physical beaten – neglect is also sending the message to your child that work is more important.

Fundamentally UNICEF does raise a question that is very relevant – how important are our kids and their well being? Growing up as kids I have such great memories of playing outside, eating home cooked meals, having a teacher who made me stay after school to redo my work because my handwriting was horrible. But I wonder which of these I will be able to give to my kids? I am a stay at home mom and hence they do get the meals but I don’t feel comfortable leaving them out alone to play. We don’t live in a society where we can trust those who live around us, our kids are solely our responsibility. And if any teacher was to single out a child it would not be considered helping but discriminating. How I wish I could turn back the clock and allow my kids to live in the era I was born, yes I’d be willing to give up cellphones, computers, and video games because those materialistic things aren’t what you remember when your older. Its the memories you create while spending time together!