The Wonder and Weight of Childhood
National Child Day – November 20, 2025
What constitutes a successful childhood? From an objective standpoint, one could be inclined to say that a successful childhood is one where a child grows up and becomes an adult. The inevitability of getting older is a discomfiting reassurance. One minute a child is born, the next, they take their first steps, and one day they are a full-fledged adult. As a caregiver, thinking of this timeline can induce so much pressure to create an environment in which a child can thrive and grow without hindrance. Childhood is such an important time for a variety of reasons. It is the foundation upon which the totality of every human’s experience is based. It is a repeated dress rehearsal for adulthood by which the stakes get higher and higher every time it’s completed. And yet, when we’re in it, it rarely feels that way. Looking back now as an adult, it did not seem that way. Growing up was a time to take risks, and as much as parents stressed the fact that things mattered, to a degree they did not. Every experience was a test of abilities, both physically and mentally, walking the tightrope between building confidence and putting yourself in the perfect amount of danger. It was about playing, having fun, and simply experiencing life with the seemingly endless reservoir of time at your disposal.
As fondly as childhood is looked at, the realities are different for everyone. Some children do not have safe environments to grow up in, or access to steady meals or housing. Some children may have experienced abuse, neglect, or not been believed in. In North America, at least one in seven children experiences abuse or neglect each year, and nearly six in ten Canadians report maltreatment before the age of fifteen. It’s a heartbreaking truth that serves to remind us how important it is to protect, provide, and encourage children.
- Protection – the right of every child to be safe
- Provision – the right of every child to be healthy and have their needs met
- Participation – the right of every child to be themselves, to be heard, and to belong
These are the pillars of National Child Day. On November 20th, the nation acknowledges the importance of children’s rights. As caregivers, direct or indirect participants in the upbringing of children, we have a duty to protect every child’s sense of identity and belonging. Each child in our community represents the limitless potential present during youth, the potential to not just be a contributor, but an amazing individual capable of deep impact on the world.
So, what can we do as caregivers to help kids just be kids? Firstly, we must understand that they are young and still growing. Despite the high potential a child has, they are whoever they are at that time, still figuring things out and learning as they grow. Childhood is a time for them to learn through playing and interacting with the world. We must do our best to provide a stable environment with a plethora of opportunities to engage in creative, free play.
When we provide spaces where children can explore freely and feel safe to make mistakes, we plant the seeds for confidence and curiosity that last a lifetime. The question then becomes, how do we build and protect those spaces?
– Written by: Oladipo Olatona, Support Approach Consultant
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- “For me, childhood is saturated with distinctive joy in a variety of contexts. As a kid, there was so much time, and at times, a rush to be older, bigger, grown-up. The somewhat harsh and ironic part about growing up is that you look back at being younger more fondly. But that’s the thing. We never really stop being children; we simply get older. You are forever someone’s son or daughter. You are always a little brother or big sister, someone’s grandchild.
Being honest, adulthood can be monotonous, stressful, and at times, it really sucks. We’re not getting any younger, so why should we hold on to the negativity associated with it?
Each day let’s take time to think back to the crisp air on the morning of a field trip. Back to the sleepovers where sleeping was replaced with giggling and joking until the early morning. Back to the anxiety and elation while talking to your crush for the first time. Or the feeling of riding your bike around the neighborhood with your friends until the streetlights came on. Maybe how it felt to graduate high school. Or skipping class to go do stupid stuff with your friends.
Let’s face it, the parts of who we were as kids still linger. We’re just older, wiser, and maybe a little less silly.”- Oladipo Olatona, SAC
- “For me, childhood is saturated with distinctive joy in a variety of contexts. As a kid, there was so much time, and at times, a rush to be older, bigger, grown-up. The somewhat harsh and ironic part about growing up is that you look back at being younger more fondly. But that’s the thing. We never really stop being children; we simply get older. You are forever someone’s son or daughter. You are always a little brother or big sister, someone’s grandchild.
For more thoughts on the wonder of childhood read Safe Waters and Childlike Joy
