As a White parent of White kids, ignoring the police slayings of Black people and other people of color could be easy. However, as a halfway decent person who wants to raise kids who are not monsters, I believe that as White people, talking to kids about White privilege and what is happening in this country to people of color is essential. I know it can be difficult to know what to say to kids and how to talk to them about these events, but we must. Here are some tips that have worked with my kids, but of course all families and kids are different, so use what’s useful and discard the rest.
1. Remember Your Privilege.
Many White parents are scared that talking about police killings will traumatize their children. I can relate to this fear, but it is important for White parents to remember that this conversation is nothing compared to the conversations Black families have to have. We need to prioritize creating White co-conspirators/allies and be constantly aware that other families are being torn apart by the police and the prison industrial complex. For us, parents of White kids, the stakes are really low and while we don’t want to traumatize our kids on purpose, if we are really going to try to work for a more just world, it is a small price to pay.
2. Kids are Weirdos
Another note on being scared about traumatizing kids: Kids are little awesome weirdos, and they tend to be traumatized by things that you would never imagine and take other things in stride. For example, I watch tons of true crime shows and my kids have no issues with it, but if deer are in the backyard, my oldest son loses it. While, of course, talking about police killing Black folks indiscriminately should elicit some strong emotions in kids, having feelings about the horrible things happening in the world is not a bad thing, it’s part of being human.
[For more of this story, written by Katie Tastrom, go to http://www.yesmagazine.org/peo...lack-people-20170710]
Comments (0)