Prime minister attended first family congress; “Burn the Spark of Your Relationship”

At the Renaissance Convention Center, for the first time, a special convention for couples called “Burn the Spark of Your Relationship”. This important congress was organized by the Pedagogical Vision Commission, consisting of the Department of Social Affairs, the Center for Youth and Family, the Foundation for Our Children, Stichting Wit Gele Kruis, the Respect Me Foundation and the Education Store. As a special guest, Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes had the opportunity to address the audience in person, where she thanked the organizers for their invitation.

During her speech, the Prime Minister indicated that a priority of the Wever-Croes Cabinet is the well-being of our children, and for them to grow up in a safe and loving environment, it is important for parents to be kind to one another. She explained that the family is the first foundation of socialization in children’s lives, and plays a decisive role in the child’s development. A young child guides and repeats actions that he sees and experiences in the familiar environment. A child’s behavior is often influenced by his or her parents, so it is important for a parent to ensure that the environment in which the child grows up is one of trust and protection, thus contributing to the formation of a strong, healthy, empathetic and resilient personality around the child. Raising a child in an environment of insecurity and violence can lead to aggressive attitudes and low self-esteem. Therefore, it is important for parents to always provide a quality family climate, in which the child can develop naturally his personality and character.

One of the biggest challenges in most relationships is communication. It is important to not only talk about communication but also about assertive communication, which is an ideal tool to increase the ability to communicate effectively. A person with assertive communication can express their emotions and ideas both negatively and positively in a direct, honest, empathetic, respectful way without judging or blaming others. However, given all the benefits that assertive communication has, it is important to focus on creating assertive citizens who are authentic and caring, compassionate and kind people, who accept their mistakes and respect the position of others even if they do not share their thinking. Therefore, it is fundamental to start developing the assertive skills around a citizen, starting from his childhood.

Finally, the Prime Minister invited the people of Aruba to unite and come together to instill respect for each other and ourselves, thus promoting a culture of communication, and creating assertive people from a young age. “A family and a community provide the values that remain for a lifetime. A loving and united family is the greatest luxury a child can have”, the Prime Minister said.