Children: The future and our Hope Hearts Minds ...

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Hearts Minds Media 2018. Page 2. Understanding Children's Rights. Right to Life. The right to life means that each child must be able to live his or her own life.
Children: The future and our Hope

Hearts Minds Media 2018

Understanding Children’s Rights

Right to Life The right to life means that each child must be able to live his or her own life. Children have the right not to be killed. They have the right to survive and to grow up in proper conditions.

Right to Education The right to education allows each child to receive instruction, to enjoy a social life, and to build his or her own future. This right is essential for economic, social and cultural development.

Right to Food The right to food is the right of each child to eat. It is the right to not die of hunger and to not suffer from malnutrition. Every five seconds, a child dies of hunger somewhere in the world.

Right to Health The right to health means that children must be protected against illness. They must be allowed to grow and become healthy adults. This contributes to developing an active society.

Right to Water The right to water means children have the right to safe drinking water and proper sanitary conditions. The right to water is essential for good health, survival and proper growth.

Right to Identity Each child has the right to have a surname, a firstname, a nationality, and to know who his or her relatives are. The right to identity also means that each child’s existence and rights must be officially recognised.

Right to Freedom

The right to liberty is the child’s right to express him or herself, to have opinions, to have access to information, and to participate in decisions which affect his or her life. Children also have the right to religious freedom.

Right to Protection The right to protection is the right to live in a secure and protective environment which preserves the child’s well-being. Each child has the right to be protected from all forms of mistreatment, discrimination, and exploitation.

Rights for all forms of life, especially the most vulnerable.

Safe from harm Every child has the right to be protected from abuse and neglect of any kind, whether physical, emotional, sexual, or educational. We consider that the abusive treatment of a child is not only a crime, but a sin in the eyes of God. The Family International has a zero-tolerance policy regarding the abusive treatment of children, and will permanently expel any member who violates this policy. Members are subject to the laws of their country of residence regarding reporting crimes of this nature to the appropriate authorities. The Family International is committed to the well-being of children and considers it the moral responsibility of any adult caring for minors to protect them from harm. We believe that children should be educated to recognize and deal with potentially harmful situations, and instructed to communicate with their parents or other people responsible for their care. Successfully preparing children for life includes instructing them on safety and empowering them to discern and protect themselves from situations of potential harm. Every child is precious in God’s eyes and deserves quality and responsible care, and to be loved, nurtured, protected, and enabled to develop their full potential.

Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) Copyright © 2014 by The Family International. All rights reserved.

We believe that every child has the right: •

To be loved, cherished, and supported



To be treated with respect and dignity



To receive responsible care and to be handled with kindness



To be encouraged and nurtured emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually



To have their physical needs adequately met, including nutrition, housing, and medical care



To receive a good education that provides competence and empowers them to be self-sufficient



To be taught good values and morals to guide them in life



To learn about God’s personal love and care for them



To be taught boundaries and self-discipline



To be empowered to realize their full potential



To be prepared for the responsibilities and challenges of adulthood



To develop their individuality



To be treated fairly and justly, without discrimination



To be in a safe environment; to be protected from harm and danger

The Family International promotes a high standard of care, protection, education, socialization, and recreation for all our members’ children. Our profound respect for children—and the importance of their care and upbringing—is an integral part of our beliefs. We consider that it is the God-given responsibility of every Christian parent to impart to their children a deep appreciation, respect, and love for God and His Word and the sacred principles contained in it. We also believe that the marriage union of man and woman is the ideal relationship for the parenting of children and the forming of stable families.

CHILD PROTECTION The Family International is committed to safeguarding children from harm and to promoting the importance of educating and preparing children to be able to protect themselves. We understand that children are vulnerable and need the protection of adults—both their parents and other adults, such as their teachers, caregivers, or adults responsible for their supervision during child-oriented activities. We believe that those entrusted with the care of children are responsible to protect them and keep them safe. (The Family International’s Child Protection Policy)

EDUCATIONAL AND CHILD-REARING PROGRAMS

Throughout The Family International’s history, members around the world have engaged in a variety of character-building and motivational programs for children and youth, and have also conducted child-rearing and parenting seminars for parents and educators. (For more details, please see our Worldwide Work page.)

ASSISTANCE TO DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN

Our members have engaged in a variety of programs around the world aimed at assisting disadvantaged children and providing them opportunities to rise above their circumstances. These programs have included educational, motivational, and

character-building programs; assistance in building schools in depressed areas; material and humanitarian aid; programs in juvenile detention centers; vocational training for children with disabilities; programs in orphanages; medical assistance and health programs. We believe that every child deserves an opportunity for a bright future.

CHARACTER-BUILDING PRODUCTS

The Family International produces a variety of devotional and educational publications and podcasts for children and teens. These present character-building lessons in ways that appeal to youth.

EDUCATION

We believe that every child has the right to receive an education that empowers them to realize their full potential. Homeschooling was a common method of education for many members over the past 30 years. The Family International also specialized in early-childhood

education, and produced numerous in-house publications, Christian books, videos, and teaching aids for this level of education. “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them and went away.” Matthew 19:13-15, ESV Jesus’ tenderness towards children should be an inspiration to us. He valued them as much as any adult. Throughout Scripture, there are countless examples of God speaking to or using children to do His works (Samuel, David, Josiah, and even young Mary who was chosen to be the mother of our Savior). Today many people view pregnancy as an ailment, childbirth as a curse, an d children as a burden! I will be teaching on all three of these topics here on the blog at Courageous Mom shortly, but I wanted to start with our view of children. Most of our culture in North America is willing to celebrate the life of a first born baby to a young mom and dad, but how about the fifth, seventh, or tenth? Once you have more than three, that’s when you see all the haughty eyes and glares. People start making judgments about the parents and sadly what happens is that baby doesn’t get celebrated in quite the same way. Have you ever heard the term “attitude reflects leadership?” This is not just an American issue. Valuing life is a world -wide issue. Some countries have limitations on how many children should be born to each family and fine those who have more, pushing the abortion rates out the roof.

Other countries, who happen to see the value in the next generation, abuse them by recruiting and imprisoning them as child soldiers. The abortion rates all over the world are shocking. I could go on and on about the countless ways our culture’s worldview is portrayed in movies, music, books, and media alone, but that would need to be a book by itself. WE ARE IN A BATTLE TO VIEW CHILDREN THE WAY GOD DOES. We are in a battle to heal corrupted thinking and remind people of what life is really all about–eternity. It is amazing to me how people will justify abortion by trying to make it seem the “holier” approach. Our culture has stopped worshiping God and made an idol out of His creation – the world! This world will pass away and we cannot take anything with us into eternity, but we can build treasures in heaven. “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:17 The world will tempt you to live for yourself, to invest in your future, and that you deserve a cushy life, but that road does not lead to true joy. THAT ROAD DOESN’T BUILD TREASURES IN HEAVEN. The Lord is full of beauty and life and He alone sustains and gives life. Many preachers use the scripture Luke 12:33-34 when they are preaching on tithing and giving. We have all heard this scripture many times,

“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” ESV Recently it dawned on me, that this speaks loudly to the eternal inheritance that children are. It’s not just about choosing between a nice vacation or tithing and supporting missions! This verse also speaks loudly to investing all we have in the things that matter most. And yes, missions is on that list and so is supporting the ministry of the church, but I believe my greatest opportunity for impact both in this world now, generationally, and eternally is by investing in loving and raising my children! For many years we had opportunities to travel abroad and dine with the finest. We have been more than blessed on many occasions. But throughout our marriage, we also had to turn down many of those opportunities due to pregnancy or simply the need to stay home and care for our children. Honestly, there were times when I was jealous and REALLY wanted to go! Instead of being thankful for the trips we had gotten to go on, I would be thinking, “man… it isn’t fair… I’m here sicker than a dog because I’m prego, while they are all sitting on a beach somewhere hot having people serve them every meal.” There were times when we would get to go on the trip and I relished in the break and pampering. We would talk to others who weren’t having children so they could travel, and to be honest I struggled with comparing and thinking, if only!

Then when I came home to a full house of busy little munchkins squealing mommy’s home! I realized in that moment that all those other couples that were investing their money on traveling weregoing home to empty houses. Yes, my life included sleepless nights, lots of laundry, and dishes, but in all of that, I saw God’s eternal blessing of family. We truly saw our family as our greatest investment. The culture tempts us to compare, to want, to desire what we don’t have, but what if you couldn’t have children? Would you be willing to sacrifice it all? The gift of children is comparable to none on earth. This world need to be humbled and see what a gift and blessing that children are! THEN we need to have an attitude and perspective check regarding the journey toward receiving these gifts! We live in an opinion war, where everyone says and wants what feels good, or is most convenient, rather than looking for God’s purposes and lessons to be learned through the life experience of becoming a parent! The reality is that even in today’s church the culture’s view of children, pregnancy, and childbirth has seeped in and corrupted our way of thinking to some degree. I would like to challenge your thinking for a moment. Do you think you will have that same support if you are pregnant with your fourth or your tenth? Will your friends still throw you a baby shower when you are expecting your fourth son?

THE REAL REASON BEHIND HAVING A BABY SHOWER SHOULD BE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF ANOTHER CHILD, NOT JUST TO GIVE GIFTS. If we truly see children as a blessing and a gift from God, shouldn’t the excitement be the same for the first and the fifteenth? I mean honestly, fertility is a gift! Those who struggle with infertility don’t understand the attitude issues women in society have over being pregnant today. And when a woman carries a baby full term in her thirties, forties, or fifties we should be celebrating with her. We should rejoice at the gift of life, regardless how old the mother or how many children she has. DO YOU SEE HOW PERSPECTIVE CHANGES ONE’S VIEW OF REALITY? You see, I never really noticed this “influence” by the world, until we were expecting our fifth baby. A little at four, but the comments and disapproving stares really didn’t become apparent until I was pregnant with our fifth. And some of you may have even had similar experiences simply being pregnant with your third. Times are changing and the average sized family in America is now somewhere around 1.4. Are children less of a blessing today than they were in Biblical days? Certainly not.

If we spent more of our time focused on the long-term eternal blessing that children are, and less about the earthly costs, our perspective would be drastically different! A little story in the shoes of a family of eight: Have you ever gone through a season where you have had to “church shop?” I can’t stand that terminology, but really there is no better description for it. I am not proud to say we have had a few of those seasons for differing reasons. In 2012 we were in such a season for about 14 months. During that time we visited around 18 churches. When you visit that many churches with six children you have all kinds of experiences! Sadly, that was when I realized more than ever before, how the culture had influenced the Church’s view of children. My husband and I would try to make light of it by even walking into a service separately with only 3 kids each to see

the difference in reaction. Outstanding… is all I can say. The greet ers didn’t recognize us the next week when we walked in with six. Their facial expressions said it all. This may seem unfair of me to be pointing out. I don’t think everyone should have 6 kids, or ten kids, or even 2 kids. GOD HAS A DIFFERENT PLAN AND DESIGN FOR EVERY FAMILY. What I am saying is that we need to be careful not to allow the world to influence us, our opinions, or our decisions on anything, especially how we view children AND we need to be careful how we influence others in their thinking as well. I would never tell anyone they should have a certain amount of children, just because I did. That is absurd. WHAT I WOULD ADVISE A YOUNGER SISTER IN THE LORD, IS TO PRAY ABOUT EACH DECISION AND EACH BABY AND NOT MAKE ANY DECISIONS UNLESS IN COMPLETE ALIGNMENT WITH HER HUSBAND. These kinds of decisions are not for any of us to influence, except with regard to giving wise counsel to simply seek God’s unique design and will. It’s really that simple. The problem lies when people give their advice based upon what justifies what they have done or when their advice is formed from a secular world view and not a biblical worldview. Be careful not to lead others astray from God’s counsel in the Bible. He warns us in James 3:1 that those that teach will be held to a higher standard of judgment.

Why do I share these stories with you? I hope they don’t discourage you from having a large family; because we have truly seen such good fruit and change in our lives and hearts. It’s not always easy, but it is SO worth it! I share these stories to impress upon you and awaken you to be more sensitive to the attitudes that have seeped into the church. Do we intentionally make these larger families feel comfortable or uncomfortable in our churches today? Or do we treat them like outcasts? The truth is that all children are a blessing. WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE INFERTILE OR SEEKING TO ADOPT? DO WE MAKE THEM FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE OR DO WE LOVE THEM AND ENGAGE THEM EQUALLY AS WELL? We need to focus on edifying and building one another up. We need to strive to encourage, support, and empower one another to be living in alignment with God’s will for our lives, whatever that is to look like, and it may not look the same for everyone! Amen?! How do we do that? Well, I think it takes being honest about our opinions and perspectives on these things and examining them in light, held up to the light of God’s word. This is something we all have to do on our own. THEN IF WE FIND WE HAVE A HARDENED ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT GOD SAYS IS A BLESSING, WE NEED TO ASK HIM TO TRANSFORM OUR MINDS {ROMANS 12}. It is easy to say we believe something, like, children are a blessing, but it is another to actually walk it out and truly view them that way.

Children's rights being 'violated with impunity' 28 years after the convention on children’s rights, Unicef warns of psychological impact of conflict on millions of children



Children’s rights: what matters most to young people around the world? - interactive

Schoolchildren who were displaced from Pakistan’s tribal areas due to fighting between militants and the army enter a classroom on the outskirts of Islamabad. A quarter of a century after the UN convention on the rights of the child, the international community must match promises with funding to safeguard children’s rights in a volatile world where conflict exposes young people to profound shocks, a leading campaigner said. As the world marks the 28th anniversary of the convention (CRC), gains made in education, reducing child mortality and recognising the inalienable rights of children have been hailed, but UN member states have been criticised for failing to deliver on promises contained in the world’s most widely ratified rights treaty. “We really need to see a global partnership … and the creation of a funding mechanism for the protection of children. What has been neglected historically is a pulling together of all the actors – civil society, governments and the private sector,” said Susan Bissell, Unicef’s global chief of child protection. Bissell, who spoke as she prepared to fly to Sierra Leone to take part in Ebola relief efforts, said there was not enough investment in implementation, nationally and internationally. “It’s moving from promise to action,” she said, adding that social change was required as well as more funding. “We need to accelerate social change … [That takes] a lot of political will, and leadership and bravery,” she said. In the past 18 months, conflicts in Syria, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Gaza have spawned new perils for young people. “We are extremely concerned about the generation of children growing up experiencing Syria, and the migration and the mobility,” Bissell said. “This really merits attention for the psychological impact on millions of children, not just those directly affected or recruited … but [those] indirectly witnessing violence or seeing the family experience violence.”

In a report to mark the CRC anniversary, Unicef asked whether today’s children are better off than young people growing up 25 years ago. It concluded that the answer was yes, but not for every child. “We cannot afford to continue at the same pace for the next 25 years. Unless efforts are stepped up, the rights of millions of children will continue to be violated. When we come together to focus commitments, investments and actions on the right interventions, true progress ensues,” it said. UN member states have a historic opportunity to end child poverty by child-focused budgeting and expanding social protection programmes, the report said. “While no silver bullet, child-sensitive social protection programmes have proved to be extremely effective in addressing risks and vulnerabilities related to chronic multidimensional poverty,” it said. To mark the anniversary, UCLA’s World Policy Analysis Centre compiled an online resource bank looking at how specific articles from the convention have been implemented. Only three countries have not ratified the convention – Somalia, the US and South Sudan – and only the US has not signalled an intention to do so. “With the passage of the CRC, the rights of the world’s youngest citizens were recognised. Yet, we still lag far behind on the implementation of universal protections important to children’s healthy development,” said Dr Jody Heymann, founding director of the World Policy Analysis Centre and dean of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. The centre said 74% of countries no longer allow children to engage in hazardous work, but once legal exceptions were taken in account, nearly half of these countries still allow children to work in jobs that endanger their health and safety, including mining and factory work. On child marriage, 88% of countries have set a minimum age of 18 or older but when exceptions with parental consent are included, only 49% of these protect girls from early marriage.

Unicef said a baby born in 2014 had a “dramatically improved chance” of living to the age of five, compared with one born in 1990. The number of children under five years old who die each year fell by almost half – from 12.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million in 2013 – it said. However, deaths in the first year of life, and the neonatal mortality rate, which covers the first 28 days, improved less swiftly. Kevin Watkins, executive director of the Overseas Development Institute, wrote that the convention was widely and systematically violated in near total impunity. “Under the terms of the treaty, governments have a responsibility to ensure that every child has access to schooling. Yet 115 million school-age children are working in the most extreme forms of child labour,” he wrote. Watkins said around 150 million girls, mostly in Africa and south Asia, still marry before the age of 15; child trafficking and slavery had reached “epidemic proportions”; and schools and children had been targeted by armed forces. “A quarter of a century after the inception of the convention on the rights of the child, it is time to deliver on its promise ... We need a new global civil rights movement that turns principles into the practical interventions that can transform the lives of children,” he wrote. Watkins called for the creation of an international court for child rights to investigate systemic abuses, and urged the UN committee overseeing the convention to “ruthlessly investigate” violations. Bissell said Unicef was happy with the child-related content of the proposed sustainable development goals, which are being discussed over the coming year. “What we are going to be rallying around over the next six to nine months is the partnership – what will it take to make it happen? They say it takes a village to raise a child. It really takes a global partnership to protect the world’s children,” she said. The latest crisis to affect children is the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, where thousands of children have lost one or both parents, and face stigma surrounding survivors. “The good news is that … the extended family and kinship care are part of the culture, so we have that to build on,” Bissell said. “The quicker there’s a sense of normalcy in these kids’ lives the better.”

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I’ve been sharing some of the best parenting quotes on my facebook page from time to time (my favorites anyway) and they are often the most popular and re-shared items on my page. So today I wanted to gather them here for reference and easy accessibility— both for you and for me. Here goes… Note: I have a post of the best mother quotes (here’s the second one) and one of father quotes as well.

The Best Parenting Quotes

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“There is no such thing as a perfect parent. So just be a real one.” – Sue Atkins

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“Children spell love… T-I-M-E.” – Dr. A. Witham

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“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” – Charles R. Swindoll

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“It’s not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can’t tell me children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself.” – Joyce Maynard

More of the Best Parenting Quotes

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“Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories.” – John Wilmot

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“If I had my child to raise all over again, I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later. I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I’d take more hikes and fly more kites. I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I’d do more hugging and less tugging.“ – Diane Loomans

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“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.”– Robert Fulghum

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“Allow children to be happy in their own way, for what better way will they find?” – Samuel Johnson

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“Treat a child as though he already is the person he’s capable of becoming.” – Haim Ginott

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“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

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“Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they’re going to catch you in next.” – Franklin P. Jones

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“If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others.” – Haim Ginott

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“A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” – Paulo Coelho

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“I think it’s necessary to let kids get bored once in a while—that’s how they learn to be creative.” – Kim Raver

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“Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.” – Maria Montessori

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“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop, The Lion & the Mouse

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“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Horton the elephant

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“A child’s mind is not a container to be filled but rather a fire to be kindled.” – Dorothea Brande

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“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” – Rachel Carson Question for you… What do YOU think are the best parenting quote here? Or do you have one to add? (I’m always looking for good quotes!)

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THE 50 MOST COMMON CHILDHOOD MEMORIES 1. Family holidays 2. Hide and seek 3. Collecting shells on the beach

GETTY

British adults also recalled fighting with their siblings as a fond memory

4. Hop scotch 5. Watching Top of the Pops 6. Sports days 7. Watching children's TV 8. Fish and chips 9. Pic n mix sweets 10. Playground games (British bulldog etc.) 11. Pencil cases 12. Climbing trees 13. Egg and spoon race 14. Recording the music charts on a Sunday 15. School dinners 16. Collecting toys/ cards/ collectibles etc. 17. Ice creams from the ice cream van

18. Playing outside until it was dark 19. Paddling in the sea 20. Dinner ladies 21. Your teeth falling out and putting them under your pillow 22. Kiss chase 23. Fighting with siblings 24. Fishing for tadpoles in a pond 25. Going to Woolworths to buy records 26. Playing on a rope swing in the woods 27. School field trips 28. Visiting cousins 29. Making daisy chains and wearing them around your head 30. Going 'back to school' shopping at the end of summer hols 31. Getting up really early in the morning to go on holiday 32. Reading magazines 33. Exploring rock pools 34. Using jumpers for goal posts 35. School tuck shop 36. Playing in the paddling pool 37. Ice cream floats 38. Running around bare foot outside 39. Sleepovers with friends 40. School packed lunches 41. Swimming in cold sea 42. Playing tennis against the back of the house 43. Scratch and sniff stickers 44. First time getting told off by a teacher

45. Staying up late for New Year's parties 46. Sliding on the grass in school uniform 47. Paper rounds 48. Going camping 49. Playing car games on long journeys 50. Singing in the back of the car