This is a topic I want to get into because it’s something that happens a lot, and it’s also something that often makes parents uncomfortable.
I’m talking about when you’re out and about and your kid (often loudly… or at least it seems loud) points out someone who is different in someway.
“Why is my new classmate darker then me?”
“What happened to that man’s arm?”
“How come that kid gets to use that tablet in the classroom?”
Sometimes they notice these things and come home and ask but I want to focus more so on what we do when our children ask these questions in public.
Because these questions often bring out embarrassment or even some kind of shame in parents, especially when the person in question overhears the question.
And parents reaction is usually to quickly hush their child or dismiss the question altogether.
I propose an alternative solution.
In this episode I’ll be sharing three things:
- Why children feel the need to point out these differences (and why they’re not purposefully being rude)
- How you as a parent can respond to your child’s question
- And one very important thing to keep in mind when your child asks these types of questions and the person hears it
We can’t raise children who are aware, respectful, and inclusive of all the diversity around them by ignoring it- but these are still tricky conversations to navigate, but we’re going to give it a go anyway!
