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?Of course we do? I hear you think.
Then why, comparing the well being of our children, is the US ranked 21st and Canada 12th in a ranking of industrialized nations.
Why are we ranked 20th and 18th respectively in the dimension Family and Peer Relationships? And 20th and 17th in Behavior and Risks?
The UNICEF Innocenti report gives no brighter spots for North Americans, other than maybe where Canada ranks 2nd in Educational Well Being (US 12th). (The full report is available at www.unicef-icdc.org/cgibin/unicef/presscentre/download_insert.sql?)
Can we do better?
?I guess so? will many of you think right now.
And yes we can.
We can put our money where our mouth is and help parents to master the skills they need to connect with their children.
I have worked in child welfare for decades. I have yet to meet a parent who did not want things to be better for their children. They simply didn't know how.
Our society is changing all the time and not necessarily for the better as we see in this report. Technology and material wealth have great advantages, but we need to use them well.
It is not enough to sit in front of the TV, computer, by yourself, and get lost in your daily dose of soaps, sports and games. Your children will not learn any social skills that way.
Does it make them feel good?
No it doesn't. Canada, ranked 6th in material well being, has its children rank 15th in ?subjective well being? or how they see it themselves.
The US, surprisingly is ranked only 17th on ?material well being?.
Is there hope?
Yes, there is.
There are initiatives that are aimed at the areas, the underprivileged, however minimal they are. They work in minimal ways at this point, reach and succeed for too few children.
We are creative peoples when we need to. Especially when we unite beyond political boundaries for a pressing need we see.
I think we haven't realized enough how much we really need to, sitting here isolated on our continent. And our children are losing out because of that.
We need to find ways to make up for our dramatically depersonalized society.
We need to find tools, attitudes, means and simple ways to help parents in their struggles.
They mean well, they intend well. Let's help them do well.
So our children can flourish.
Because they depend on us.
I have developed a survey ?A Resource of Practical Magic? that will go out to students, parents, teachers, principals, school district administrators and experts across North America in March 2007.
It gives you and them an opportunity to help the fast majority of parents and educators that is doing their best, feeling stressed, stretched and tired.
Parents and educators who need ?A Resource of Practical Magic?, of things they can do that cost little time, effort or money. Because those are things they can, they will do.
I know we can.
It is up to us if we will.
If you want to participate in the survey email wouter@theparentprogram.com for a copy or link to of the survey, which will also be made available on-line in March, 2007
Wouter van der Hall,
Author of The Parent Program? ? wouter van der hall 2007
www.theparentprogram.com 1 888 379 4222 wouter@theparentprogram.com
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