Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 20, 2015 (SKNIS): Minister of State, responsible for Social Services, Honourable Wendy Phipps stated that it is imperative that children know that there are adults who strongly support them and the Government of National Unity intends to demonstrate this by treating them to lunch.
The minister stated on the radio, television show “Working for You”, on November 18, that government officials, including ministers, will be taking two children along with an adult to lunch, to show them that who they have role models they can look up to and most importantly to let them know that they matter.
“Very often we tend to feel, traditionally, as we raise children, that they should be seen and not heard,” said Minister Phipps. “They shouldn’t say anything, they don’t have an opinion. But, they do have an opinion and perhaps sometimes if we listen to children more, the mistakes we make as adults, we wouldn’t make them because they see things through eyes that are not clouded by anything yet. They see things as they are and they call things as they are. It is not our job to shoot them down or decide ‘well you need to shut up because nobody asked you anything.’ So that whole approach to taking them to lunch is to tell them that they are important and that they have a listening ear and that they have advocates in government who will be there to support them…even if their parents are not doing so.”
This activity is a part of this month’s Child Abuse Prevention Week held under the theme “Stop Violence Against Children.”