Raffi on why we need to honour children
Children's entertainer Raffi wants to create a world in which we all honour the child.
His Covenant of Child Honouring lists nine principles which he believes will create a better life, not just for children but for all of us. You can listen to it here:
But - and this is a big distinction for Raffi - don't confuse child honouring with handing over too much control to your children. A child-centred home where the child is given too much say and too much power is a mistake.
The best parenting is neither permissive nor punitive. It is authoritative. Sometimes the parent must say to the child: this is not your decision, it's mine. And that's how it's going to be.- Raffi Cavoukian
Raffi says we need to look at a child as a fully formed human, doing the very best he or she can at that particular point in time.
During a child's early years, impressions are made which last a lifetime. "Let's understand the early years for what they are; they are a time when we are learning what it means to be human."
Raffi admits that his own childhood was "melancholy" and says that is what drives much of his child honouring work.
I couldn't understand why I could be so loved by my parents and yet mocked and humiliated at times by them. And hit by them. I couldn't reconcile that because they did love me very much.- Raffi Cavoukian
"Did I feel seen and respected for who I felt who I was? No, I did not."
Raffi just released his newest CD. It's called Owl Singalong
The Child Honouring Manifesto:
1. Respectful Love
2. Diversity
3. Caring Community
4. Conscious Parenting
5. Emotional Intelligence
6. Non-violence
7. Safe Environments
8. Sustainability
9. Ethical Commerce
Read more about Raffi's Child Honouring movement.