We’re celebrating our young children this week in the Cayman Islands.
The Week of the Young Child is to focus attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognise early childhood programmes and services that meet those needs.
Tomorrow we will see a gaggle of pre-schoolers call Minister Alden McLaughlin out of his office at the Glass House.
Throughout the week children and the agencies that support them will be recognised at various events.
The foundation for a child’s success in school and later in life is set between the years of birth through age eight.
The Week of the Young Child is a time for all of us to plan how to better meet the needs of all young children and their families.
We are talking about the future of the Cayman Islands.
We know the importance of shaping a child’s learning and development in the early years of his or her life.
It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. Nothing could be truer, especially today.
In the days gone by in the Cayman Islands everyone helped raise children.
They knew if they did something wrong someone would let their parents know about it before they had a chance to get back home.
Historically children in the Cayman Islands were raised by an extended family – our grandparents, uncles, aunts and family friends kept us all in line.
Today that still rings true in many families, but unfortunately not in every one. To help, Government has the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Education Services, which are overseeing this week’s activities.
We can all help with raising successful children.
For starters, help promote literacy and learning in your neighbourhood.
Developing early reading skills is crucial to a child’s success in school.
If you have a toddler in your home, read to them and encourage reading in older children.
They’ll thank you for it when they become successful adults.
Remember to thank the teacher who gives tirelessly each day to ensure your child is getting a top-notch education.
We are no longer the Islands that time forgot.
Now, more than ever, we have to compete on a global level. Our children will soon become the adults that take our place in the business world and we owe it to them to make sure they are educated and well equipped to take over when it comes their turn.
Children between the ages of birth to eight years of age are so impressionable and vulnerable.
It is our responsibility to lift them up and make sure they have the best start in life possible.
It is good that we as a country are designating a week to celebrate our young children.
But they need to be uppermost on our minds at all times.
This is our chance to shape the future of our country.
That future is in our children’s hands.
Now, more than ever, we have to compete on a global level. Our children will soon become the adults that take our place in the business world and we owe it to them to make sure they are educated and well equipped to take over when it comes their turn.
Related Videos
