I wrote recently about family breakdown and my view that family life has be devalued for decades, and the importance of family is no longer part of any agenda.
Children all want to be part of happy healthy families, and when that first wish is erased from them the whole foundation of their lives is rocked.
We now live in a society where everyone feels they have a right, to something or other in every aspect of their lives.
Estrangement is not an exception.
Parents and Grandparents fighting over their rights, has become a toxic area to be in, a toxic place for children.
How often do we hear people saying, “I have a right to see my child/grandchild.”
I have certainly been hearing it for 16 years now, and I have witnessed the impact it has on children themselves.
Rights have no place when talking about families in distress, we need to be talking about responsibility and support.
As parents and grandparents our responsibility has to be to those children.
A responsibility to put the children at the forefront of any decisions being made when facing a family breakdown.
All agencies and organisations who have the welfare of children as their remit, need to understand that they also have a responsibility.
I have written before that we need to be looking at education, for family breakdown to be included in PHSE so that children learn about their responsibilities when entering into relationships.
But we all need educating, to stop this mantra for rights, we have duty to change the narrative, for the sake of children.
