National Children's Day

National Children's Day is a great chance for busy parents to spend time with their children and make them realize the importance of spending precious moments. The day also raises awareness about less fortunate children who may not be as fortunate to have the life we are familiar with. It is also a day to help the many children in our society who may be facing physical and mental health problems that no one else can help.

History of National Children's Day

National Children's Day has been celebrated in the United States since the 1800s, although there have been many variations in determining the date and date of observance. Since 1857, there have been changes to the holiday.

Pastor Dr. Charles Leonard was the first to establish Children's Day in 1857 on the second Sunday of June and named it Rose Day. Leonard is the pastor of Christ the Savior Universal Church in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and organized the day to organize a special service specifically for and for children, including their baptism. The name was later changed from Rose Day to Flower Sunday, and eventually called National Children's Day.

In 1995, President Bill Clinton changed this date to October 8th, and named it National Children's Day. Later, President George Bush declared that the first Sunday of June should be commemorated as National Children's Day.

However, in 2009, Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois, announced that National Children's Day would be celebrated on the second Sunday of June every year, and that's how it's been since. Many other countries celebrate children's rights on November 20th, the date nominated by the United Nations. November 20 is considered an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly had adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child successfully.

Since 1990, World Children's Day has also marked the anniversary of the adoption of both the Declaration and the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly.

Some facts about children in the US

• Illiteracy in children

About 34% of students were below basic reading comprehension in grade 4.

• There's still work to do

About 4.5 million young people, between the ages of 16 and 24, do not go to school or work.

• Disadvantaged

About 22% of children in the United States live in poverty, and about 80% of them will lose their reading skills over the summer.

• Widespread obesity

In children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19, the prevalence of obesity was 19.3%, affecting about 14.4 million people between 2017 and 2018.

• Cyberbullying is common

According to some recent studies, it has been reported that there are about 59% of teenagers in the United States who have been bullying or harassment online.

How to celebrate National Children's Day

• Spend time with your kids

Spend the day enjoying fun activities with your child. Plan a family picnic or have a fun day at home where you draw, sing, play and dance together. If you don't have your own kids, think about reaching out to your nieces and nephews to bond with them!

• Raise awareness

Share information about the day, representation of the day, and news about events on your social media accounts so more people can learn and participate. There are many children in the United States and around the world who go through a difficult time being able to use one hand.

• An explosion from the past

Relive the good old days by listening to your favorite music and watching all the movies you loved growing up. You can also get in touch with your old friends and have a great time chatting.

Why we love National Children's Day

• Children are the future

Our future depends on these young people and we must make sure to provide the best for them. This includes doing our best to ensure children grow into well-adjusted healthy adults, as well as providing better opportunities for disadvantaged children.

• It allows us to spend more time with children

It's hard to spend meaningful quality time with the kids in our busy schedules these days. National Children's Day reminds us to slow down, take it easy and remember that our family will always be more important than anything else.

• It helps children

Having a day dedicated to them and knowing they are appreciated can be the confidence boost so many kids need to do well and live life to the fullest. It also gives children a sense of importance and responsibility.