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Friends and family debate

From October 08 to November 05

Our debate theme for this month is ‘friends and family’

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says that all children have the right to a family life (article 8), and that the Government must help parents always to try to do what is best for their children (article 18).

Earlier this year, UNICEF (a worldwide children’s rights charity) published a report on the well-being of children in the richest countries in the world. The UK came last overall out of 21 countries for making sure children are happy and healthy. One of the things that UNICEF looked at was how children and young people got on with their families and friends.

The UNICEF report found that very few teenagers in the UK thought other teenagers were friendly and helpful towards them. Other research reports on family life in England have found that parents think children spend too much time watching TV and playing on their computers, and not enough with their family or friends.

Tell us what you think!

Do you find other children and young people friendly and helpful towards you?

Do you think families in England spend enough time together?

Do your parents / carers or other family members spend time ‘just talking’ to you?

What sort of help do you think the Government should give parents and carers to help them do what is best for their children?

Join in the debate!

Check out what the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says about friends and family

On Sunday, October 14, 2007 Lauren said:

I think that parents need to spend more time with their children – hardly anyone sits down to eat as a family anymore, I know my family only does a few days a week! I think the government needs to do more to encourage family days out – i think they need to be a lot cheaper and accessible to everyone. x

On Monday, October 15, 2007 Kevin said:

I would have to disagree with lauren’s opinion above. Thsi si becasue i feel as though our society is changing more now than it ever has. We are becoming alot more diverse, more inclusive and state ran. It is becasue of this diversity that surely no-one can say that families in England spend enough time togetehr- circumstances do steer this. However in slight contridiction the values of family are changing as Lauren does say with her example of meal times. Talking in my opinion again varies but in my view i do think that young people as a collective can feel iscolated from their family… is this just growing up? In terms of what help is needed one could be crazy and say a parenting manual but…well…no. I think that the government needs to accept family situations more and again ensure, as Lauren said, that there is enough cheaper good activites for young people without alot of money.

On Sunday, October 21, 2007 Kirrun said:

To be honest, i’m not sure whether families spend enough time together as half the people i know including myself, spend quite a bit of time with their families and the other half don’t. but i think on a whole, people don’t spend enough time with their families. some people just talk for a bit with their family and then go out with their mates or go off and do their own thing. and it is true what lauren is saying that families hardly eat together anymore which is true. i mean, my family does but that may just be because it’s a traditional or cultural thing, i’m not sure. also, whilst eating, we can discuss how our day has gone or just have a laugh.

my family are always there for me and if i can’t talk to my dad about something, i know i can speak to my sister instead. but nowadays, i think that happens in half of families as people just turn towards their friends or out’reach family (cousins, aunites, etc.)

i agree with lauren and kevin about having cheaper activities for children and young people. also, there should be cheaper activities for families to do together. perhaps, local areas should put something together, perhaps a leaflet about what acitvities are available for families to do and also, in nearby cities as well.

On Thursday, November 01, 2007 acorn said:

While I love spending time with my mum and normal family the courts make us go see our dad who hits us. They asked us if we wanted to see him and we said no. We told them what he’s like and how nasty he is and they said we had to see him anyway.
My friends mum would not send her to her dad so she didnt get hit and the court took her away and made her live with her dad shes run away three times and they keep taking her back to him. No one cares about kids they only care about dads and cafcas people are liars and judges are stupid.
Whats the point in having kids rights when no one lets you have them??
Do I want to see my dad ?? NO. Do i have to see him??? YES.
Do these rights apply to me ? NO. Or anyone else going through the family courts? NO!!!!
So article 8 article 9 just might as well rip them up and throw them away.
Should families spend more time together, that kind of depends on the family.