Parents or guardians are the primary spiritual educators of their children. Their words, actions and relationships convey to their children much of what he or she understands about life and its meaning. The One World Bahá’í School program can help parents fulfill their mission as spiritual educators, but only to the extent of their involvement in it. The more one knows about - and participates in - their child’s experience, the more one can support its goals and lessons in daily life and the more enriching the experience will become for their child.
Guidelines for Spiritual Assemblies on Protection of Children and Youth at Bahá’í Events ~ excerpt
Supplement to Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities
~ The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, November 2004
Establish Supervisory Teams. During Bahá’í events when children and youth are not expected to be supervised by their parents, supervision should be provided by teams of at least two responsible adults and/or youth, with one of the team members over the age of 21, whether they are serving as teachers in a children’s class or supervising children during a fireside, Feast, or other event. This is an optimal situation that small communities may not be able to achieve immediately, but all communities should be aware of this standard and strive to achieve it.
There are many benefits to the use of supervisory teams that help insure the safety of the children. Teams allow the freedom for one team member to leave the room without leaving children unsupervised – a necessity for tending to the personal needs of the children and team members as they arise, such as bathroom breaks, tending to injuries and upsets, and addressing misbehavior. In addition, teams provide an extra measure of assurance that adults or youth in charge will not maltreat the children, which is more likely when an adult or youth in charge is alone and accountability is diminished.