Wow. That is quite a dichotomy, thinking of oneself as a child advocate or a frog. In the former role, one is unabashed in their support of children and families even in the midst of turmoil. A child advocate recognizes the need to speak up on behalf of children and families when such a stance might lead to discomfort. It might be easier for the advocate to stay silent when they are subjected to ridicule and verbal abuse as they are standing up for children. But they are so committed to care for the vulnerable children and families under their care that they accept the discomfort in such action.
But how does this contrast with being a frog? Joyce Vance in her book, Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy, reminds us of the analogy of being a frog when things are happening that demand change.1 If a frog is placed in boiling water, he will jump out as soon as possible. He recognizes the present danger. But if a frog is placed in water at room temperature, he will “gladly” enjoy the water until the heat is gradually increased. He will succumb to the insidious increase in the heat and suffer the same fate as if he was unable to jump out of the boiling water initially. And let’s be clear. The frog will die if he stays in the hot boiling water or the water slowly heated to boiling. To not jump out of the water and take an active stance against sure death is the recipe for disaster.
What am I trying to say? I liken our current environment for children’s health to boiling water, whether it is already at the boiling point or being heated to boiling. We cannot take the approach of resting in the water hoping that things will change and then find ourselves unable to enact any change and past the point of no return.
The exhibition of moral courage, speaking up to power even when discomfort is present, is the only way forward when raising your voice is needed for children.2,3 We are literally in the water as frogs and the water temperature is being increased incrementally by an administration that overtly and covertly is harming children and families. The listing below is incomplete (as the list is exhaustive) but suffice it to say that the evidence is clear, and change is needed now before even more damage is done.
- Disregard for preventive health measures
- Vaccines (vaccines decrease illness and save lives)
- Decreasing funding for well child checks for all children
- Defunding public health systems
- Erosion of confidence in science and the scientific method
- Degradation of pediatric research
- Disregard for measures to reduce gun violence
- Decreased access to health care via insurance and Medicaid
- Increased environmental pollution via eliminating measures to limit exposures
- Erosion of public trust in medicine
- Decreased funding for mental health issues – for adolescents, for LGTBQ children, and for children with gender issues (including those with birth defects of the genitalia)
- Misguided policies and false proclamations about the cause of certain conditions (e.g., autism) and the proper therapies for various situations (e.g., acetaminophen and pregnancy)
- Lack of attention to the economic well-being of our vast vulnerable population (increasing poverty)
- Increasing incarceration with decreasing emphasis on restorative justice
- Demeaning and belittling vast swaths of our population purely for political gain
- Diminishing free speech via banning of books and condemnation of the press
- Decreasing the importance of a robust public education system
- Wanton disregard for children overseas who benefitted greatly (often just survived) from USAID programs that were eliminated4
- Condemning efforts for diversity, equity and inclusion that help build up our society5,6
As I stated above, this list is really longer but I abbreviate it here for the sake of my argument. All of the above points represent stepwise increases in the water temperature for those of us that care for and speak out on behalf of children and families. We can act like frogs content in the water and not notice the increasing heat. Or we can be outspoken child advocates, jumping up and down outside the pot of boiling water and proudly carrying the banner of what is best for children, all of the children.
It is a stretch but let me borrow from Abraham Lincoln to conclude. Our government should be a government of the CHILDREN, by the CHILDREN, and for the CHILDREN. That is, the words and deeds of our government need to constantly reflect the welfare OF, BY, and FOR the children. We cannot let the insidious drumbeat of damaging policies and actions drag our children down.
The future for our children demands that we “jump” as outspoken child advocates and not swim contently in the rising heat. We can see what is happening. Change will only occur when we speak out as fervently as we can.
- Vance J: Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy. 2025; Dutton. 211 pp.
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/staying-true-to-the-truth-moral-courage/
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/a-pediatric-profile-in-courage/
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/voices-for-children/
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/woke-is-good-not-evil/
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/woke-im-in/