Key Takeaway
Teach your kids about their rights to help them feel powerful and more in control of their lives.
They deserve to be loved, cared for, protected, and respected. When parents are going through a separation or divorce, it is especially important to keep the child’s rights in mind. Kids who are taught about their rights tend to have higher self esteem and are less likely to be taken advantage of.
Children’s rights are human rights specific to children. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a treaty that recognizes specific rights of children.
- No child should be treated unfairly on any basis such as gender identity, race, religion, where they come from, whether they have a disability or whether they are rich or poor.
- They have the right to live, the right to be safe, and free from abuse, violence and neglect.
- They have the right to an education and health care.
- Children should not be separated from their parents unless it would be in the best interest of the child such as for their safety. They should have contact with both parents unless it would cause them harm.
- Parents or other adults responsible for raising a child must always consider what is in the child’s best interests. See Best Interests of the Child.
They have the right to give their opinions on matters that affect them. They have the right to have their views taken seriously and respected. They should be given opportunities to participate in legal proceedings that impact them. See Voice of the Child.
Get Help
Want ideas to help teach your kids and teens about their rights?
- National Child Day’s website for videos and activities all about children’s rights
- UNICEF: Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Society for Children and Youth of BC: Resources
The Convention on the Rights of the Child supports the role of parents in providing guidance as children develop.
Children knowing about their rights might use them to challenge you. It’s natural and healthy for kids to want to challenge their parents and test boundaries after all. How else are they going to learn? Teach them that:
- Rights come with responsibilities
- There is a difference between rights and wants
- Kids have the responsibility to respect the rights of others, including those of their parents
- You have the responsibility to look out for their wellbeing, which sometimes means not giving them everything they want
Learn More
See National Day of the Child or the Society of Children and Youth of BC Child Rights Resources for multilingual information and resources for parents on children's rights.
See Getting Help for a list of children’s rights organizations.