Let’s be vigilant

IT’S good to be reminded about the need for parents and guardians to ensure their children are always safe and protected. And there is the element of trust and adult supervision we should appreciate as well.

Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya gave the reminder in the wake of the tragic death of a two-year-old child in Seaqaqa this week.

She expressed sadness over the incident in which the child died in a house fire. She reiterated the need for adult supervision of children.

Parental responsibility, she said, means providing a safe living environment for children, protecting them from abuse and other forms of harm, as well as fulfilling their basic needs such as food, water, and shelter.

The incident in the Northern Division, she said, was a horrific reminder of how adults today found it easy to leave young children to fend for themselves while attending to other issues.

Divisional Police Commander North SSP Kemueli Baledrokadroka said investigations would be looking into the element of negligence.

The tragedy serves as a reminder of our responsibility as parents and guardians, to keep our children safe.

Beyond the initial shock and grief, it must encourage us to address important issues of child supervision and parental accountability. As we have mentioned above, there may be underlying issues that challenge some families.

However, it is in our best interest to consider them and reflect on how we can keep our children safe.

Addressing these underlying issues require a multipronged approach, embracing individual, community, and government efforts.

It means accepting responsibility as parents and guardians to prioritise safety.

That means supervision is priority.

It means strengthening community networks to encourage support for families needing assistance.

It means investing in affordable and accessible childcare facilities.

It is important that we are encouraged to consider the long-term implications of children left vulnerable and unsupervised.

Neglect can have lasting consequences on a child’s physical, emotional, and psychological development.

There can be unfortunate consequences such as the incident in the Northern Division.

Any loss of life is sad and accidents happen because we allow them.

It means we must be vigilant. We must be proactive and be on our guard always.

It is in our best interest.

Let us reflect on the many challenges we face as parents and guardians and acknowledge the complex issues before us.

Let’s encourage responsibility. Let’s strengthen community support systems, and let’s implement effective government initiatives that support parents and guardians.

Let’s keep our children safe!