Schools
The main function of the school lies in providing education, which in most cases means communicating the program that is commonly accepted in a certain state or region. Due to this, the new generation faces fewer difficulties on the way to social integration. In addition, school education involves the proper development of cognitive abilities; in simple terms, children should not only have knowledge but also be able to think. Therefore, schools make them acquainted with the principles of logic and help them improve their memory, both short-term and long-term, for better analytical skills.
The physical development of children is as important as cognitive; therefore, promoting a healthy lifestyle is another important function of schools. Specifically, the so-called Dietary Guidelines exist the recommendations on product contents they have to follow (Overstreet, 2019). In addition, monitoring the quality of school nutrition is among the responsibilities of local authorities, in collaboration with which schools can resolve the issue of childhood obesity more effectively. When I was a kid, our school cafeteria had a lot of healthy eating posters on the walls. Our teachers also involved us during drawing lessons or during elective classes to drawing posters with vegetables and fruits.
Family
A child’s parents or other relatives who are raising him or her bear the main responsibility for caring about him or her. That care begins at the stage of infancy and involves monitoring the development both of the body and of the brain (Overstreet, 2019). The latter, in particular, means the awareness of so-called age crises, difficult periods in which the psyche and, subsequently, worldview and behavioral patterns undergo serious transformations. At that time, children need psychological support to smooth the possible consequences, such as neural or even mental disorders. I have a friend, Madison, who suffered from anorexia from the age of 14 to 15, and it was not noticed by her strict parents, who worked at the church. Only her grandmother, who sometimes came to their house, sounded the alarm and personally took her to the doctor.
Community
The community in which the family is living forms the environment where the emotional and social development of a child occurs. Notably, children learn to interact with other people and make friends; Overstreet (2019) defines this as navigating the social sphere. By engaging in various relationships, kids acquire an understanding of certain emotions, specifically, their origin and essence. Communication helps children realize their position in society as well as the factors that determine their behavior and differentiate them from others. Subsequently, they develop a clearer view of their selves and learn to control their feelings. My cousin Amy lives in Germany, and she told me that in their small town, enthusiasts organized poetry readings for admirers. She goes there almost every weekend, meets her peers, and learns to declare poetry in public.
Local Governments
As said above, local authorities share the responsibility for the quality of food in schools with the administrations of those. This, however, is not their only function; they provide the population with legal protection in many spheres. Among those are the rights of mothers, newborns, infants, and children with special needs, which categories of the population belong to the most vulnerable. Turning back to school education, local governments are to provide equality in it, campaigning against bullying and any other forms of discrimination (Overstreet, 2019). Finally, they have to keep the population informed about the issues the neighborhood is facing so that people, including children, are able to respond to incidents quickly.
Although anti-bullying campaigns frequently are the initiative of local governments, everybody can take part in them, for instance, by making ads. This requires research on school demographics, whose outcomes will clarify the origin of the inequality that leads to bullying. The local government of my school organized relay races for children and teenagers for prizes in a children’s camp. It was an interesting experience, and I managed to win the main prize once. In the camp, where everything was also organized with the support of the local government, I learned how to play the guitar.
Employers
The role of employers in bringing up children lies in providing parents with the possibility to do that in parallel with work. An essential step to this lies in designing appropriate maternity leave policies so that the employees have sufficient security. In addition, it may be necessary to design the corresponding facilities for those who have newborns, such as nursing rooms. Regarding the prenatal period, employers should spread the ideas of a healthy lifestyle and so-called prepared childbirth among the staff. The latter means awareness as well as psychological readiness to accept the new roles, which, in turn, requires sufficient support and security.
Another responsibility of the employer is to create a comfortable atmosphere for the parents who work for it; no pressure or stigma is acceptable. Parents need social and emotional support no less than children do. In fact, people realized this and began to develop a corresponding culture relatively recently. My cousin Oliver is a psychotherapist, and his wife is an English-Korean translator. After the birth of the twins about a year ago, hard times came to their family, and the brother was afraid of losing his job because his wife needed help. However, his employer allowed him to conduct the sessions entirely remotely. Moreover, his wife was also able to return to work a few months ago, also remotely.
Reference
Overstreet, L. (2019). Lifespan development. Web.