All My Children

These factors, although given in summary form, are also found elsewhere, for example, the Philippines. Bearing in mind the comments of Vanistendael that the phenomenon of street children is not due to any single factor, but to a combination of elements and influences, let us look at some of the other factors in our South African situation which contribute to the phenomenon of street children. The list is not exhaustive in any way: Continue Reading »

The Cotonou Seminar pointed out that ‘among the reasons most often heard from street children, that of the family was the most common to explain their departure from home‘. The immediate causes given by the Philippines on why there are street children all have to do with the family. Vanistendael also said the same: ‘the immediate cause is nearly always a dysfunctioning in the family‘. ‘The reasons why children take to the streets are complex and manifold. Broadly speaking, a distinction can be drawn between the push and pull factors. Continue Reading »

Establishing a street children committee

Towards the end of the meeting of the community resources, it is important to ask those present to indicate whether or not they wish to commit themselves to becoming part and parcel of a proposed street children committee. It is important to indicate the implications of such a commitment which are, among others:

• to have regular meetings (possibly every two weeks), especially at first in order to get organised;
• to possibly become part and parcel of the care group to screen or assess the children;

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Getting organized in a town

As contact is being made with the children by the street animator, three to four committed people willing to get something off the ground need to get together. Their first step is to identify the possible resources within the community and to communicate with these people and organisations with a view to calling a first meeting of concerned citizens. It should be made clear that the meeting is exploratory and that people do not commit themselves in any way by attending. Such resources could include the following:

• Child Welfare in the town and township;
• Two priests/ministers of religion (preferably belonging to a ministers’ fraternal) one in the town and the other in the township;
• A lower and higher primary school principal/teacher in the township;

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The brief overview of the projects caring for street children in the cities may have made some of us living in the towns rather envious! How fortunate city people are to have so many human resources at their disposal: social workers, psychologists, child care workers, as well as various supporting agencies such as drug counselling centres, etc, to come to their assistance. While this is indeed the case, it is important to bear in mind that street children projects in the cities also have difficulties that are not found in the towns. For instance: Continue Reading »

There are many contributions that only parents can make to their child’s play. For example, no teacher, and certainly no age-mate, can be as deeply and personally involved in play that seems to relate to the child’s future as are his parents. Play is anchored in the present, but it also takes up and tries to solve problems of the past, and it is often future-directed as well. Continue Reading »

Contrary to adult fears—the usual motive for many parents to supervise and regulate their children’s games—even aggressive play in childhood serves often crucial civilizing functions. This is true if children are left to their own devices, in which case it only very rarely leads to mishap. Iona and Peter Opie, to whom we owe the most sensitive and comprehensive study of the games modern British children play on their own and under supervision by adults, write: Continue Reading »

The permanent underlying positive ties between parents and children were strengthened at Halloween—after all, adults made this outburst of naughtiness possible and encouraged it, with their merriment barely hidden behind their pretense of being scared. This holiday told children that deep down, despite adult demands to socialize the child, their parents did not totally reject the negative side of the child’s feelings toward them. Continue Reading »

Daniel, a thirty-year-old father of a newborn, expresses this regret. “My parents never told me why we did things—why we lit candles, why we fasted, why we ate matzoh. I always had to read about it,” Daniel continued, “and I resented it. When my daughter is old enough, I’m not going to make that mistake. I’m going to explain things, even if it’s ‘a pain.’ ”

A good time to discuss rituals is prior to, during, or just after their performance. That way the event will be fresh in your child’s mind. If your child does not ask about the basis of a religious practice, you bring it up: “Did you wonder why we celebrate each year?” Continue Reading »

What Is an Unaffiliated Believer?

Some families and individuals march to the tune of a different spiritual drummer. While these individuals may have been raised in the major traditions just described, they have decided that formal religion is just not for them. Or alternatively, they have grown up in families which were unaffiliated to begin with. Nonetheless, these individuals come together as couples and continue to pursue an earnest, noninstitutionalized belief in God. If that description fits you and your spouse, then how have you decided to teach your child about God? Continue Reading »