„We are all the village“

It is important to listen to our children

„It's important to listen to the voices of the children when we try to solve problems. This is especially true now when we are tackling such a horrifying issue as the carrying of weapons in schools. Their involvement is so important. It is often forgotten to speak directly to the children and young people,“ says Þórunn Þórarinsdóttir, project manager for the child-friendly municipality at Hafnarfjörður in To the youth of Hafnarfjörður, the newspaper Fjarðarfrétta.

„We are the village and we need to get the whole community on board. That means we solve problems with the children on our side.“

Working in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Thórunn is about to release the action plan so that the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður can boast of being a municipality that works in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in all its governance and activities. Once UNICEF and the town council approve the plan, the town will join two other municipalities that already work in accordance with the agreement.

„This involves the local authority agreeing to have the Convention on the Rights of the Child as a guiding principle in its work. The common thread is to promote the active participation of children in matters that concern them. There is much to be gained. They are the future, after all.“

Parents build relationships

Thorunn says that care must be taken that the bonds between children and adults are not broken during the teenage years. Parents need to be a safety net for their children.

„We need to take part in parent walks when asked. That's how parents expand their network. We need to sign up as class representatives, take an interest in our children's friends and encourage them all to make use of the work at the community centres,“ she says.

Let's keep an eye on the children

„In the youth centres, there are important adults they can turn to. So much happens during the teenage years. We know our children and try to read between the lines of the answers they give us. It's not always fine even if they say that everything is fine,“ she says, offering advice.

„We need to keep our eyes open and watch for changes. Are there changes in their circle of friends, increased irritability? Then we parents need to talk to the school and the youth centres. It's so much easier when parents are connected, they know the teachers and the people who work in the youth clubs. They know how the system works.“

The article was published in the Hafnarfjörður youth section of Fjarðarfréttir.