See the Child, Not Just the Crisis | Sis. Geraldine Ikewete

What happens to children when the home they depend on is going through stress, conflict, or crisis? In this powerful first session of the NCTC Lagos Archdiocese Online Advocacy Initiative – Faith Begins at Home, 2nd Edition, we explore the theme “When the Home Is Strained” and focus on a critical message: See the Child, Not Just the Crisis. Our speaker, Sis. Geraldine Ikewete, an experienced educationist and retired Director of Education with the Lagos State Government, shares practical insights from her experience in education, child development, faith formation, and working with children. In this session, you will learn: 🔹 How family strain and crisis can affect children emotionally, behaviorally, physically, and spiritually. 🔹 Why children may communicate distress through their body language, behavior, and play rather than words. 🔹 How to recognize signs such as withdrawal, aggression, regression, fear, anxiety, and changes in behavior. 🔹 Why adults must learn to listen to children without immediately judging or punishing them. 🔹 How parents, caregivers, schools, and the Church can provide a safe and supportive environment for children. 🔹 Why we must look beyond a child's behavior and ask: “What is this child carrying?” The central message is simple but powerful: Don't just focus on the crisis in the home. Remember the child who is experiencing it. The session also emphasizes the importance of advocating for the “forgotten child”—children who may be silently carrying the effects of family difficulties. 🙏 If you are a parent, caregiver, teacher, animator, ministry worker, or anyone involved in the life of a child, this conversation is for you. 💬 Join the Conversation What stood out to you most from this session? Share your thoughts in the comments. If you found this session helpful: 👍 Like this video 📲 Share it with parents, families, teachers, and ministry workers 🔔 Subscribe to the NCTC Lagos Archdiocese channel for more faith and child-development content. 🔎 Topics Covered Family strain • Family crisis • Parenting • Child development • Children's emotional health • Children's behavior • Faith formation • Christian parenting • Parenting during family challenges • Supporting children • Child advocacy • Children and teenagers ministry • Faith Begins at Home • NCTC Lagos Archdiocese #FaithBeginsAtHome #NCTCLagos #childadvocacy #christianparenting #ChildDevelopment #FamilyLife #Parenting #ChildrenAndTeens #catholicfamily #faithformation