Todd Muller: Buddy Day - our job as adults

Todd Muller MP for Bay of Plenty. Photo/John Borren

Kids matter. In fact those first few years of a child's life sets the course that the rest of their life will follow. Whether it's nurturing love, nutrition, structure or social experiences, experts in these fields all agree that the early years are critical to future development.

We recently had Buddy Day. Buddy Day is about the role every adult plays in the lives of kids - from preventing child abuse to providing great environments to flourish. It's not just parents, but relatives, friends and the wider community who all have a job to do there.

In essence it's about doing the simple things well and being considerate. We've got to shine a light on child abuse and condemn it as a community while also reflecting on our own habits and behaviours.

Let's always aim to better ourselves and be good role models for kids. The reality is, whether we're parents, siblings or simply a member of the community, a child is often watching what we do and say. Let's be better buddies towards those who'll one day pay our superannuation.