With the countdown to Christmas, this is a good time to put a pause to whatever we have been doing, and think about the children. Think about the special gifts that we would like them to have, and to cherish as part of their experience of growing up.

For the children everyone must pause. While we dare not tell politicians to put a pause on exchanging words, we expect they can at least strip these words of acrimony. We must have a pause in trade union agitation, a pause in all discriminatory/recriminatory acts and, most importantly, a pause in criminal activities.

Can we imagine what it would do for the health and welfare of our little ones if they would not breathe the acrid desert air of partisan politics or see the graphic, gory details of crime, just for one full week?

It is sad indeed that for so many moons, longer than we would care to remember, all our children have known during Christmas time was disorder in the streets.

Now the bands of a different sort are out in gaiety, and the revelers are coming out to bring an interlude of joy to our children. We must allow these things to happen even just for this festive season. All for the children.

Money and physical comfort are important in measuring our children’s welfare. But they need atmosphere, and ties of affection. This is what this season provides them, and which is symbolised in merriment and gifts.

To a child Joe Flounce and Santa Claus do not come to them from a fable or from fiction. They represent an image of both freedom to enjoy life and a compassion to render a helping hand, if need be, to those who need it.

We therefore encourage our parents and all loved ones to spare a moment for the children. Buy them a gift and help them live out the fantasy of childhood with something to remember.

For the politicians, if they have to say things during these final days of the year, let them remember the children. Let them not beat their worn war drums. They should exchange kind words, soft words. We may add, let their words ring with promise and hope. They must use lofty words, just for our children, to invigorate their life.