Read the following. Respond the following.
Topic: Explain how children benefit from supportive family policies
From newborns to toddlers to teenagers, children require one thing more than anything else – the love, nurturing and support of their parents. Thus, when countries such as Sweden, Denmark, France and Belgium, have policies which allow parents to put their children first, the benefits are endless. First and foremost, when countries have supportive family policies, parents are allowed to “meet the needs of their children, something that children deserve” (196). In other words, when parents are allowed to take paid leave of absence to help care for their children, children benefit because their needs are being met – they are indirectly being told that they matter. Furthermore, children who grow up in countries that have supportive family policies are more likely to attend better preschools, have better health care and have enough food to eat (197). By supporting children at a young age, society is sending the message that their basic needs as humans matters. This is a huge psychological benefit to these children who, if growing up in countries like America, may feel as if they are unimportant, which carries on into their adult attitudes towards society.
Children will benefit from supportive family policies in direct and indirect ways. By being given the right to parental attention when they are younger, it is ensured that they are being raised with love and by people who want to be with them. It is undeniable that having parental attention when children are younger helps ensure that they grow up into compassionate, responsible adults who can carry on the feeling that children should come first. Furthermore, there are health benefits to being raised by your parents opposed to by strangers who may be under qualified. As Brittany Shahmehri stated, “with longer parental leaves, child and infant mortality rates go down” (196).
Overall, there is no downside to making children feel good about themselves and making them feel like they are a priority. By allowing children to be children and giving them the proper attention and nurturing they require will only strengthen the possibilities of success in their future. Children benefit from supportive family policies because they are not deprived of their parents; they are not forced to go to school if they have a sick day nor are the deprived of the essential role of family in their lives.
