Child rearing in a large family, Child’s perspective

Child rearing in a large family, Child’s perspective Maria Herczog Ph.D. Member of the UN CRC Committee President of EUROCHILD Tartu, 19 July 2012

Growing up in (large) families – child’s perspective • Families differ and not primarily based on the number of children • Growing up in a family is the natural form of care, parents need a lot of support to develop their parenting capacities, fulfilling their other tasks, harmonise personal, family and working life • Children need emotional and physical nurturing, cognitive stimulation, safety, security, (brain research) • Respect of their personality, dignity • Opportunity to learn and exercise their rights

“Children are not mini adults with mini human rights” • UN Convention on the Rights of the Child • Almost universal ratification – implementation monitored but limited follow up (NGOs role) • Comprehensive set of values and principles • Monitored by the Committee on the Rights of the Child • “The EU and its 27 Member States need to make sure children are protected and that the best interests of the child are our guiding principles. said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice Commissioner

Exercising child rights • Every child has a right to be provided with all the needed opportunities to develop his/her evolving capacities to the fullest possible • Every child has a right to be protected from all forms of violence and harm – if needed support to rehabilitation, healing the damage • Every child has the right to participate actively, listened to, his/her views taken into consideration in all matter affecting them

Special issues in large families • Large families can be good models of community life • Learning co-operation, negotiation, conflict resolution, respect, responsibility, accountability • Risk of poverty, exclusion, discrimination, stigmatisation, prejudice, lack of personal attention • Raising children is also a contribution to community well-being, it has to be valued and acknowledged

Good families, bad families • Parents have the primary responsibility to raise their children • Parents are entitled to support in all forms to fulfill their task – parenting capacity building, financial, in kind help, • The State has an obligation to provide support and services (not blaming and shaming) • Child rights based approach but also best interest of the family, community – joyful, successful children • Not only well-becoming, future for children but also wellbeing and joyful childhood for all

Why rights, rights based? • Learning and exercising rights means respecting others’ rights and taking their viewpoint also into consideration, becoming responsible and accountable • It helps developing resilience in vulnerable situations • Adults need to be aware of their own rights and exercise them to be able accepting and supporting human rights and child rights – human right education essential, good (common) ground for discussion and negotiation

Thank you for your attention!Thanks for your attention!

Child rearing in a large family, Child’s perspective