There's a campaign going on at Facebook - "Change your FB profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood... Join the fight against child abuse....."
Most of my friends and friendlies have participated and I'm amazed on its success - my facebook has become so cute and colorful. Everyone seems little children with innocent minds.
I would like to contribute my idea.
Many of us are much aware of the physical abuse or the active type. Children who have been ignored or neglected are considered abused too (passive abuse).
For me this emotional/intellectual assault is more harmful to children. Infact, it is more rampant in ordinary homes. There's no wound to heal, there's no words to say. Parents would say "I didn't do anything to that child". That's the point - being quiet or having no (good) words to say to our children is a missed learning opportunity for them. Many children grew up without practical intelligence or "common sense". Their views in life are not normal, their behaviors are awkward, life for them has no value.
Our home is like a kids gym - it's an extraordinary playground. There are climbing bars on the doorways, ropes on the ceiling, punching bags, trampoline and home-made convertible swing, yet imagine how small our home is. Our TV has a timer and its faced on a wall without a sofa - so they will not enjoy watching too long. My kids got a second-hand gameboy (from their cousins) which only allowed to play every Sunday for 1 hour.. Computers have timer and schedules too. Cartoons on the TV and CDs are supervised. Power Rangers and Tom and Jerry were stopped - but sometimes a short clip is ok..ssshh. don't tell their mother.
Well, I like our life as it is. Everyone is healthy. My wife and I are enjoying our full time together with our kids. Our house is an exciting place to be. We pray, laugh, fart and burp. Our kids learned to cooked. They never go to the toilet without a book and reading stories had become part of bed routine. All of us are now members in the city library. I like that fact that my children seems so little, doesn't know much in life yet can teach us so many valuable lessons in life.
My illustration above shows how media (television) can poison children's mind. If we don't act or say something, they will.
Photo credit: MmeEmil (Canada)
