Making reality of article 2 in the CRC thus is a challenge for politicians due to the changes that are taking place. Children need close and stable relations to adults. Adults who devote their time, who listens carefully and who let themselves become involved in the relation to the child and, most important, lavish with their love. This goes without saying, still it needs to be repeated as this is what children told us when we asked them. Children need close friendship with other children.
Children clearly express the importance of their friends.
Many children seems to have a strong capacity of empathy, particularly regarding the situation of other children. A capacity which is not recognised enough or at least underestimated. They quite often have insights on the solution to their problems if we just listen to them, their knowledge and experience. Due to article 12 in the CRC we also have an obligation to find ways to support them to express themselves and means, formal and informal, to how children can be listened to. As the general support at school and in child care is reduced especially children living in fragile social situations are negatively affected.