Responsibility is fostered by allowing children a voice and wherever indicated a choice in matters that affect them.
Millions of children are disempowered and we need to empower them.
What would happen if we listened to children as much as we talked to them?
Look at cookbooks with your kids and ask them what sounds good.
If we behave like the kitchen is for adults, they become more wary of it and reluctant to go in it because it feels like it's a grown-up space.
When it comes to children’s issues, children don’t vote.
The children should never be excluded from what I am doing and should never have the feeling of being part of an audience.
Thus the Convention is unequivocal in its call for children to be consulted, to have their opinions heard and to have their best interests considered when law and policies are being drafted.
All kids should vote - it gives them the opportunity to whinge afterwards because you can't complain if you haven't voted.
I love giving little ones fun tasks that make them feel like they're part of the team but keep them safe. My go-tos are topping pizzas, decorating cookies, stirring ingredients, and, of course, taste-testing!
In my family, we let our boys have a say in what veggie side they want for dinner that night. We list off a handful of options and get them excited about helping to plan the dinner menu. They're much more inclined to finish their plates when they've helped decide what goes on them.
