More and more Finnish children have to learn to cope by themselves at early age

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Parents seem to neglect their children more and more. Even very small children are expected to cope with many everyday concerns without help from their parents.
      The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL) calls for responsibility from the parents also in supporting their children’s schoolwork.
      “In Finland, there are many children who eat alone, go to bed alone, and wake up alone. Often the neglect of children is unintentional and may result from, say, the parents’ exhaustion”, explains Mirjam Kalland, the secretary general of MLL.

According to Kalland, the Finnish upbringing culture perhaps over-emphasises the early independence of children.
      “For example in Germany or Italy people might think that all Finnish children are being neglected as they travel to school alone and spend long hours by themselves. In Southern Europe this is extremely rare”, Kalland describes.
     
MLL also encourages commerce and industry to think of ways of arranging working-hours such that parents would have more time to spend with their children.
      “Far too often, Finnish working life sees things in terms of either on or off. Either one is fully devoted to work or does not work at all. For example in the Netherlands and in Sweden it is far more common that parents only work part-time in order to be able to spend more time with their children. We should consider such alternatives in Finland as well”, Kalland urges.
     
Apart from children needing care and attention, teachers express the wish that parents would offer support also in the educational work.
      “Every teacher has at least twenty children in his or her group. Therefore it is very possible that a parent is the first one to notice a child having learning difficulties, for example when doing homework. Bringing up such issues makes the teacher’s job that much easier. The best possible support that a teacher can get is the support from the pupils’ parents”, confirms head mistress Hanna Sarakorpi from Espoo’s Meriusva School.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish children go to day care at an earlier age than before (22.10.2007)

Links:
  The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare

Helsingin Sanomat