The Progeny

 

God’s gift, the first bundle of joy for every couple, teacher’s pride, curious scientists, doctors with their magical wand – their wet healing kisses, marvelous engineers with their mud houses of the beach sand, brilliant mathematicians counting their shares of chocolates and pastries, excellent story-tellers for their grandparents, donning several hats and moving the whole world to a smiling curve.

 

 

What a wonderful thought of being a child in school happily celebrating the day and the most important fact is realizing the value of teachers and respecting them for molding the student community is what I strongly believe in.

Significance of Children’s Day

 

 

It speaks about children’s rights, education, and care apart from a tribute to our first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

“The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country”                                     – Jawaharlal Nehru

He worked tirelessly to reinforce the establishment of various educational institutes in India.  A step to building nation-building institutions i.e., Institutes of national importance for the development of a bright future for youth was first taken by him.

“Children are not things to be molded, but people to be unfolded”                                 – Jess Lair

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults”                                     – F. Doughlas

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today”             – Stacia Tauscher

The day is celebrated with gusto in schools and all children’s institutions by conducting cultural events giving away sweets, gifts, etc., and making it a special day for them. But, have we ever thought that children are given the fundamental aspects of the right to education, welfare, good family conditions healthcare, and free from the menace of child labor and child abuse – the devouring prey?

Constitutional Rights

The Rights of children according to the Indian Constitution are:

Right to free and compulsory elementary education (6 to 14 years)
Right to be protected from hazardous employment (Unsuited occupation to their age and strength)

Right to be protected from abuse.

Rights against exploitation.

Right to freedom and dignity

Right to equal opportunities and facilities

Right to survive, Right to develop to the fullest

Protection from harmful exploitation, abuse, influences,

Right to participate in family, cultural and social life

At St. Britto’s, the students are taught about creating awareness and concern for other children who are exposed to childhood poverty, and lack of access to food, water, and education by using PowerPoint presentations.

The students were encouraged to start a Pen-Pal program with students of nearby locality and connect with their ideas and values that can improve the quality of life of the students.

A ‘Walkathon’ was organized by St. Britto’s institutions with the students holding the placard and raising slogans with enthusiasm on children’s rights and their importance.

Spread the awareness

Awareness has to be spread among the parents for ensuring a good peaceful environment, responsibility for inculcating values, tracing their own identity, and giving freedom and space to put in their thoughts. Emphasis was laid on not yielding to peer pressure, asking for help in the critical situation of stress, psychological situations, body shaming issues, and gender-biased issues defaming one’s character, etc., This gives them the support to pursue their interests and provides the liberty to analyze things revolving around them. This day should focus on children’s education, “the need of the hour”, nurturing and grooming their inner potential.
 At St. Britto’s, children’s week was celebrated in November 2022 with the theme “well-being of the family” where there was an emphasis on a healthy body, healthy mind, and healthy soul for all in a family, especially for children. 

Parent and Child Relationship 

It’s quite important to stress quality family time spent by the parents with their children, building trust and respect, taking steps to listen and speak, respecting their ideas, going down to their level, and valuing them for what they are.  These are the basics to build a strong and healthy parent-child relationship. The need for such a relationship is essential, to provide a secure feeling to their kids to help them overcome emotional, physical, social, and cognitive hurdles in their life and to bring considerable change and development in areas where the child needs improvement and progress.

 At St. Britto’s, it was formal to have certain ideas which sounded too older, like having a picnic, gardening, baking, and cook, playing games, etc., that would bring the parents and children closer so that they can confide everything in their parents.

In another event ‘A model Parent’, it was a surprise to see the children dress up and role play like their dad and mom, but doing it their way so that the parents observed and admired the way they portrayed a typical model of an understanding parent. 

A creative play was organized at St. Britto’s where the ‘role for all at home was enacted by the students which strengthened the relationship between the parents and the children with better understanding to build an unbreakable bond, to develop better traits, behavior, and values to go on a firm for a better future.

A workshop was conducted for parents of children belonging to grades VIII and IX where small games were conducted like spinning the wheel that earned them a special ‘Growth, Development and Future coins’. Using these coins, they moved to the next counter, and there, the parents had to tackle questions related to their children’s liking, tastes, ideas, ambitions, strengths, weaknesses, etc., At the same time, the students were asked the same set of questions to which they answered from their own. The best parent-child duo was selected which was a motivation to the parents of how much they understood their kids. 

The parents learned that they can be a better role models for their children. They also understood how to boost their ward’s ability and talent. They gained knowledge on the importance of resilience and this helped the child to return to normalcy quickly, in case of any problems, and to reinforce the thinking skills of their wards.

 

Child Welfare

Children are our future and inspiration. They teach us to think of the past and present and not worry about the future. They are talented, skilled and a boon to every parent. Child welfare is concerned with the physical, social, and psychological well-being of children suffering from poverty, lacking parental care and supervision reducing vulnerability, and susceptibility to harmful situations.
Children and Environment

Generally, children are vulnerable to external hazards like pollution, inadequate and safe water, hygiene and sanitation, radiation chemicals, climatic change, and e-waste an emerging threat. The children must be given a safe, clean, healthy, and peaceful, ambiance that improves their health and gives overall excellence in their achievements.

Goals of the Children's Welfare System

 The main goal of the children's welfare system is to promote and ensure their well-being and safety, creating an amicable and strong family, strengthening the relationships with relatives, and family preservation and maltreatment of the children.
Child maltreatment is the amount of care received by a child in society. According to WHO, any type of physical, or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, domestic violence, negligence, harming their health, etc., as its core perspective, etc., defines it.
Neglection is the most common form of child abuse. Due to this, fear, isolation, low self-esteem, depression, hatred, distrust, loss of concentration in studies, and behavior change (like anger, aggression, hyperactivity, hostility, etc.,) occurs which affects the overall development of a child.

Here at Britto’s, I came to know that every child reveres the teacher with a lot of love, care, and respect for the way they are shaped by the teachers. I feel I am treasured and blessed with students of great thought.

 

TESTIMONIAL 

 

I am Paul Jeremiah, a student taking great pride in spending my childhood education in Britto’s now at present pursuing VISCOM in Bishop Heber college at Trichy. Every day was a great day in having activities, but Children’s Day has always been close to my heart with usual enjoyment, but after watching the program I came to know about the Rights of the children which I share to date with the students I meet. Being a part of YOUTH WING in college, I organized a WALK -A- THON to raise awareness against child abuse, ways to curtail it, and how to come out of it, if preyed on. Also as part of extended support, I visited schools nearby to explain the importance of consuming nutritious food and making it an integral part of their daily routine so that they become a healthy citizen of tomorrow.