Teaching Kids to Confront Racism
This has been a heavy-hearted and difficult time in our city and across the country. We stand in solidarity with peaceful protesters and the fight for equality, and we unequivocally denounce the senseless killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many others as a result of the persistent structural racism against African Americans in our country. It is a gut-wrenching but important time to be talking with children about racism (anti-racism), bias and advocacy.
Some tips for talking to children about the recent events:
First and foremost, a rule of thumb for parents and teachers when discussing any mature topic, whether it has to do with racism, school safety or puberty, is to follow the child’s lead.
Don’t avoid talking to your child about what happened. If you avoid the topic, your child may find the event even more threatening or think it is simply too horrible to speak about (and even if it is, we NEED to talk about it in order to confront it).
Invite your child to tell you how s/he feels, but avoid leading questions, such as “Are you worried about ______________?”
Answer the questions they’re asking honestly but reassuringly, but don’t delve deeper into the topic than they take it. Give children the facts they need to know now, but avoid discussing your fears or anxiety.
Correct any inaccurate information: If your child has misconceptions or inaccurate information, correct them in a simple age-appropriate way.
Reinforcing safety is important with very young children.
Stay calm and use “emotional self-control” when talking about this topic. The emotions you express will influence your child’s feelings.
Focus on ways your child/family can take positive social action.
Below are just a few resources parents may find helpful. Let us be clear, we are not sharing these links and resources to point out how much we have already done, but rather to acknowledge the amount of work that likely won’t be finished in our own lifetime. We are committed to advancing anti-bias education and working with our community to address inequities that have persisted in our country for far too long.
Sesame Street/CNN Town Hall: Standing Up to Racism (June 6 - available without cable)
Peaceful Youth Protest (June 6 @ 10 AM, Encino Fire Station #83): With some of our students and families!
Talking Race With Young Children (20 minute NPR podcast - take a listen!)
Talking to Kids About Race (collection of resources)
Teaching Kids to Talk About Taboo Topics (WHPS Blog)
Remembering Person-First Language (WHPS Blog)
Project 1619: We have been adapting our social studies curriculum to better tell the story of Black Americans in a developmentally appropriate way.
