Child, inform yourself!

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a cornerstone for a more child-friendly world. Every person under the age of 18 is thus granted guaranteed rights, including the right to information. In principle, this means that children have a right to free access to child-appropriate information and media. Broken down to everyday family life, the aim is to encourage children's interest in finding out information.
There is no definitive answer to the question of how to arouse your child's interest in these topics. Being well informed yourself as a parent is an important basic requirement. In addition, it is important to keep talking to your children about this right. And that this goes hand in hand with other rights of participation, such as freedom of expression.
Nevertheless, children will only be able to identify with their individual right to information if they can experience its effects for themselves and feel that they are recognised as equal partners in their decisions.

An important key function

Access to child-friendly media is an important part of the (children's) right to information. With new media, the information gap often shifts in favour of children or young people. As parents, you have a duty to keep up to date, as otherwise you will not be able to fulfil an important key function: the translation of information relevant to children.
This relates not only to the right to, but also to protection from too much, false or hurtful and discriminatory information. For example, if a young person uploads pornographic images online, they must know that they are committing an offence.
There are two reasons why it is good for the family if children are treated equally. On the one hand, parents pave the way for their children to experience maturity. On the other hand, it leads to an honest exchange at eye level. Such discussions can also be enriching for parents, as they encourage them to question their own behaviour and thought patterns.

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About the Pestalozzi Children's Foundation

The Pestalozzi Children's Foundation is an internationally active children's aid organisation. Children and young people have been at the centre of its activities since 1946. The Children's Village in Trogen is a place of peace-building, where children from Switzerland and abroad learn to deal with cultural and social differences through exchange. In twelve countries around the world, the foundation provides disadvantaged children with access to quality education.
www.pestalozzi.ch