My then-fourteen-year-old cousin's voice cut through the general hum and buzz of conversations that were swirling around my parents' house. She was watching Gus and Jack pull themselves up to stand on their very nearly one-year-old feet. She was delighting in them. I think she meant they looked very grown up. I knew this and was glad but her comment still irked me.
Of course they look like little people. They ARE people!
It never fails to amaze me that our society doesn't seem to value the person-hood of babies and children. They are devalued at every turn, from cry rooms in churches to adults-only flights.
Children are people, and as such, they share in the basic human rights every adult would expect.
It makes me angry and sad when parents talk about those hot-button parenting issues, such as breastfeeding, in terms of purely parental choice. How different would the conversation be if breastfeeding were seen as a biological right instead of a choice?
I'm betting that every single baby ever born would choose mama milk, if given a voice to do so.
But babies can't talk, and children are still learning logic and communication skills. So it's our job to stand up for them and give voice to their rights.
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| My little people. |
Wonderfully said! It is amazing how normal and commonplace the denial of children's rights seems to be. As thought simply because they can't voice their opinions, they don't deserve consideration. It is our job to speak up for them!
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for the comment on my blog. Your blog title and header are great! For some reason, the "little people" comment didn't bother me - maybe because I felt that way a bit too after struggling with PPD. But yeah, people say the weirdest things... Your boys are ADORABLE!!!!!
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