In human society, a child is defined as a young person who is not an adult. Children are characterized by their continuing physical, cognitive, emotional and social growth and development and depend on adults for care and protection. Childhood is usually considered to extend from birth to the age of puberty or to a country’s legal age of majority, which is typically 18 years old in most countries.

Every child has the right to be happy, safe and healthy. This includes the right to a good quality education, to play and take part in cultural activities. It also means that they have the right to be protected from violence, abuse and neglect, whether by their parents or anyone else who looks after them. Governments must make sure that children have an official record of their identity, including their name and nationality. This means that they should never lose it or have it taken away from them.

A child’s growing ability to experience and express a range of emotions, both in themselves and in others, is important for their social, emotional and academic success. It is also essential for their long-term health and well-being. Emotional development, particularly in the first five years of life, is strongly linked to later school and career success.

It is the responsibility of all adults to protect and support children. Everyone must respect their rights and help them to achieve their full potential.

To do this, they need to understand how children develop and learn. It is important to use a holistic approach that takes into account a child’s family and community as well as their individual needs and capabilities.

For example, a child may be struggling at school because they are not getting enough sleep or because they feel isolated from their peers. This is why it is important to provide a healthy environment where learning is valued and not just the attainment of grades. It is also important to provide opportunities for children to be creative and explore their interests, as this can help them build confidence and resilience.

When a child is struggling, it can be helpful to talk about the problem with them and consider different ways of solving it. For example, if a child is struggling with bullying, you could try discussing this with them and agreeing on some ground rules together. It is also a good idea to encourage children to practice respectful behaviour towards other people. This can be done by teaching them politeness skills, such as saying please and thank you.

It is vital that we all respect children’s dignity and rights, no matter who they are or where they live, what language they speak, what religion they practice, whether they have a disability, if their parents or families are rich or poor, or what they look like. This is the only way that we can guarantee that they all have all of these rights. We must do everything in our power to ensure that they have all of these rights for the future.