Dec 12 2023 48 mins 3
What would happen if we put children first in our country? What would happen if we empowered children at all ages and centered the law to protect our youngest citizens? In this episode Diana talks to Adam Benforado, a children's rights expert, an award winning author and law professor at Drexel University, about how prioritizing children's rights would benefit us all.
In his critically acclaimed new book, A Minor Revolution: How Prioritizing Kids Benefits Us All, Adam criticizes America’s failure to invest in, protect, and empower its youngest citizens and presents a bold plan for reorienting society to put children first. Through historical context, personal stories and compelling arguments, Adam makes an important case as to why prioritizing our kids will help everyone in society.
Diana and Adam discuss:
- The 1989 Convention on the Rights of Child (and why the USA hasn't ratified it yet)
- What "parents' rights" mean in the context of children's rights then and today
- what happens when the law doesn't center children in making decisions
- The paradox between expecting kids to grow up quickly
- Why young activists and teenagers should be allowed to vote
- AND MORE!
Adam's book A Minor Revolution: How Prioritizing Kids Benefits Us All, is divided into the following sections where he makes the case for the following rights in a child's life:
- First years: the right to attachment
- Early childhood: the right to investment
- Late childhood the right to community
- Early adolescence the right to be a kid
- Late adolescent the right to be heard
- On the cusp of adulthood: the right ot start fresh
Thank you everyone for tuning in for this episode of Parenting and Politics. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, recommend the podcast to your friends and follow us on IG: @parentingandpolitics.You can also email your comments and ideas for guests at [email protected]
If you liked this episode make sure to check out Ep. 57: The Youth Vote and Disinformation in the Latinx Community with Maria Teresa Kumar
