What kind of world do we want to live in? To a great extent of the world around us is unclean, unsafe and stupid-the very contrary of how it should be for us to our job of raising kids. You are never more acutely aware of this than when you hold you’re helpless innocent baby in your arms and contemplate the conditions they must grow up in.
3-Families would have solitude with out isolation. There would be fairly, friendly, simple accommodation, in safe car-free area. There would be gathering places like community gardens, parks, neighborhood centers and pleasant places to walk, to shop ad meet. Celebrations like festivals picnics; planting, fair and cultural events would bring families to gather to enjoy each other and the place they live in.
4-Schools would have mothers, fathers and grand parents visiting, reading encouraging and helping. Parents could take their children their kids to work sometime or may be often and work would have flexible hours to match schooling and family responsibilities and needs. The younger the child more financially and community support would be provided, Lessening the economic pressure on parents so they could participate in their child’s precious early years.
5-People valuing the job of parents would practice patience and compassion. They’d always offer help to the mother struggling with the pusher trying to climb onto a bus and to the father with three bags of groceries, juggling a squirming toddler at the supermarket door.
Local shopkeepers, and bank and doctor’s surgeries would know you and your children by name and have toy corner where children are welcome to entertain themselves while you are there. When word gets out someone is sick, casseroles would arrive at your door with warm “get well” card attached. When gardens are abundant, surplus organic fruits and vegetables would be shared with young families. When financial loss or disaster occurred, the “hat” would be passes around the filled to help you get back on your feet.
Sharing resources would be an everyday event. There would be free toy libraries. Childhood gear, like pram, clothes, books, toys and car seats, would be pooled and recycled. We would have affordable and reliable public transport. Cars or minibuses would be shared owned for use when you needed them. People would look out each other. A child in distress or heading to wards danger would be attended o by the nearest adult or older child.
People would be friendly to teenagers and show an interest in teaching them; and would make them feel welcome things are bit tense at home. Adults would also keep an eye out and intervene thoughtfully when the teenagers were acting in risky or foolish ways. There would be great youth group s run by the young adults and older people. In each community, you would find lots of sports, activities and learning of every kind, for every age group.
Take Heart, therefore, if being a parent sometimes seems impossibly hard- don’t always blame yourself. Think how much easier parenting would be if friendship, community and happiness were the national priorities instead of money and power; the world we have described above may seem impossibly Utopian, and yet every one of these ideas is being achieved by the people in some parts of the world today. In fact you can begin today to live your life more along these lines. By working with others, you can begin to gradually change local and global conditions for families.
