Book for parents working abroad has been launched

A guidebook dedicated to parents who are working abroad or intend to do so, titled “My Child is Home Alone”, was published by the Children’s Rights Information & Documentation Centre (CIDDC) and the magazine “Urma Ta”. The guide’s author, Daniela Platon, says the book aims to make migration easier on children. The studies conducted by the Centre reveal that the departure of the parents affects the social and emotional development of their children. They are prone to become unsocial, sad, lack concentration and focus, lose motivation and have a lower academic performance. They lose interest in the surrounding world and, as a rule, do not attend extra curricular activities. In addition, they see themselves compelled to replace their parents in the household and in the relations with the relatives, Daniela Platon explains. One of the important ideas that the book highlights is that all the children must be prepared before saying goodbye to their parents. The author suggests that the parents should announce their children about the departure and ask them where and with whom they would like to stay while their parents are gone. The book also contains recommendations how to keep a warm relationship while abroad. Printed in 15,000 copies, the book “My Child is Home Alone” is illustrated with paintings made by the children and teenagers whose parents are working abroad, and the design is signed by painter Lica Sainciuc. The book is part of the efforts of the CIDDC’s project “Social Inclusion of Children Left without Parental Care as a result of Migration”. Earlier the Centre printed a similar guidebook for professionals (teachers, social assistants, psychologists), and a new guidebook for children at risk is in the writing.