Childism is a term created in 1975. It means not giving children their rights or seeing them as fully human. This idea recognizes children’s feelings and worth as important. Childism is the main cause of many other forms of unfair treatment.
Levels of Childism
Childism exists at many levels in society. It starts with how individuals treat children. It then spreads to families, organizations, and government policies. Many people practice childism without knowing it because of cultural habits.
How Childism Affects Children
Treating children as less important can hurt them for a long time. It can make them feel bad about themselves and unable to show their feelings. Children need love without conditions and respect to grow up healthy. Forcing children to obey without reason can slow their growth.
New Ways of Thinking About Parenting
Parents often think controlling children is good parenting. The goal should be to show a good example. Forcing obedience is not the answer. Children naturally want approval from adults who care for them. Treating them with kindness and respect works better.
How Media and Companies Use Children
Many companies use childhood to make money. This includes misleading ads and unhealthy products. Media often uses children without thinking about long-term effects. Parents should know about these tricks.
Giving Children a Voice
Schools and homes should let children speak up. They should have a say in decisions that affect them. This helps create people who understand democracy. Strict systems don’t prepare children for a fair society.
Simple Ways to Respect Children
Parents can start by learning about children’s rights. They should pay attention to their own thoughts and actions. Saying sorry to children when wrong is important. It teaches them that mistakes are okay. Parents should also take care of themselves to be better caregivers.
Time for Change
It’s time to start respecting children as whole people. Society needs to recognize and protect their rights. Parents can start this change by thinking about their actions and asking for forgiveness when needed. By understanding and addressing childism, we can create a better world for our children.
To learn more about childism and how to respect children, watch the full video. It gives helpful ideas that can change how you parent and talk to children.