Difficult Discussions: Talking to Kids about Racism, Violence, and Scary News
It’s difficult to express the pain, sadness, and frustration we feel. Like so many of you, we at beetbox acknowledge that we lack the ability to fully understand what many of our fellow citizens of the world experience day in and day out, as an unfortunate and scary “normal”. We are incapable of putting the pain so many of us feel into words.
As cities, neighborhoods and social media explode with anger, fear, and sorrow, worried parents and caregivers struggle with how to protect their children from seeing the worst of the violence while simultaneously teaching and explaining the complexities and disparities of racism and violence.
Even if they haven't been directly exposed, experts say parents should assume their children are already aware of tragedies like these and their aftermath.
Children and adolescents can be experiencing psychological and emotional pain, even if we don’t think they “know”about, or are paying attention to current events. Whether it’s from social media, discussions with friends, teachers, or caregivers, overheard conversations, or the distress they witness on the faces of family members, children know and can sense what’s going on.
Do we try to our best to interpret or explain to them reality? Or should we protect them from such “grown up” problems? Experts agree that parents and educators shouldn’t avoid difficult conversations.
Setting age-appropriate conversations into motion can give children a helpful formula for coping with and understanding difficult, real life situations. If adults are silent, children will draw their own (many times problematic or inaccurate) conclusions about what is happening and why.
We at beetbox want to do everything we can to communicate that we are here with you in experiencing this confusion and grief. While we might never have the exact right words to say, our goal is to encourage healthy conversations and do our best to help children navigate these uncertainties.
Talking to Kids about Racism and Justice - Oakland Library
How to Talk to Kids About Violence - Common Sense Media
Focusing on Anti-Racist Learning and Teaching - Early Childhood Education Assembly
Talking to Kids About Discrimination - American Psychological Association
Talking to Children After Racial Incidents - Penn GSE News
How to Talk to Children about Difficult News - American Psychological Association
