Listening is a part of the Child’s Right to Participation

Listening is a part of the Child’s Right to Participation that is one of the four groups of child rights covered by the UN-CRC1 announced in 1989.

We need to remember that, ‘listening to children’ is not only important, it is their right to be heard.

Can we work/interact with anybody if we are not ready to listen to them? People generally prefer to talk more and listen less. However, when we talk, we do expect others to listen, so why don’t we listen to others when they want to say something to us? Listening to children is emphasized more because we, the adults, are in authoritarian position and so we feel tempted to tell children what to do rather than listen to them.

In the fast moving world, parents do not find enough time to spend with their children. Hence, parents’ interactions with children are more often related to either school i.e. homework, exams, tuitions, materials that

have to be taken to the school or personal Listen to Childrenroutines i.e. eat this, wear this, get up, time

to go to school and similar things.

Some favorite words of children are –
Why? How? What? and Why not?
which demonstrate their innate curiosity and keen interest to understand relationships and behaviour.

Some favourite words of adults are –
Don’t, No, Stop, Keep quiet, Don’t argue etc.,
which signify that they are the authority and know what is best for children.