How To Talk To Kids About Racism And The George Floyd Protests
As the protests over the killing of George Floyd continue nationwide, many parents are struggling with how exactly to discuss it all with their kids — particularly their young kids.
Parents know it is vital to teach their kids about race, racism and police brutality. But those conversations are hard and the stakes are incredibly high.
HuffPost Parents spoke with two experts who provided some basic guidance for parents as they talk to their children about the current national outrage, and the ongoing struggle against racism in America.
First and foremost, do NOT avoid talking about what’s happening right now.
Some parents may not feel ready to have “the talk” with their kids about racial conflict and police brutality and how it will impact them; others have grown up steeped in a problematic “colorblind” ideology and feel unsure about how to lead open, frank conversations with their own kids. Also, all parents just naturally want to shield their children from anger and violence.
But experts said that just about the worst thing parents can do is avoid talking about what’s happening in the United States right now, and about racism more broadly.
“I would always argue for the earlier, the better for having these conversations,” said Howard Stevenson, a professor of urban education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.
In part, that’s because kids are so much more aware than we often give them credit for. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), babies’ brains can pick up racial differences by the time they’re 6 months old, and between the ages of 2 and 4 most kids can internalize racial bias. By age 12? “Many children become set in their beliefs,” the AAP says.
The window to profoundly shape how children perceive and react to racial bias is brief. Have a plan.
Embrace their curiosity. There is no taboo topic. Reena Patel, educational psychologist
Before you sit down to talk...
