Usually and historically children are the most repressed and discriminated group of people in societies. This can be easily understood by seeing the evolution of legal rights children have, as well as the laws about physical violence being permitted from parents to children.
In giraffe consciousness we want to respect the needs all people involved – including children – and one way to do this is to share your feelings and needs with the children – to show your own vulnerability and truth and to give them a role model – and to also give them understanding for their needs and feelings.
Another way to do this is to add to all our requests a couple of words, indicating that we only want the child to fulfill our request with joy and from free willingness.
For example:
Please bring the dishes to the kitchen now, if you are willing and like to do it. It would meet my needs for cooperation and togetherness.
Please do not do it, if you cannot do it with joy. I would rather do it myself, because I could not enjoy a need for cooperation and togetherness if you force yourself. I would be sad if you force yourself.