NCB Now: Comment -- Involve children in decisions at home

But for many parents the bliss may be short-lived, as tensions in reaching household decisions together come into focus. However, with a little mutual respect, these decisions can be made harmoniously.

Children make it clear that they want to inform and influence household decisions that affect them. In a 2007 survey of 4,000 children, 80 per cent said their views on some matters, such as playtime and bedtime, are taken into account.

However, in matters such as household finances the views of young people may be overlooked. Teenagers want to understand the rationale behind big decisions and while they may challenge them, they just want to understand the outcome and learn how to make informed decisions in their own lives.

Parents are there to listen but also to guide, a role that is well framed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

At its core is the importance of parents providing guidance "consistent with the evolving capacities of the child".

If children have a right to be involved in decisions at home, then they are also entitled to have their say in decisions shaping their schools, services that affect them and community life.

Thankfully, the children's sector has made great progress in encouraging child engagement at a policy level and consequently, successive governments have listened more to young people.

Ultimately, children are experts in their own lives. It's up to adults to tap into that expertise, whether through chatting during an evening meal or through a consultation exercise on local services.

Children need and want to be involved; ignoring their views is simply not an option.

Barbara Hearn is deputy chief executive of NCB