Having conversations with your children about racism can be difficult.
It’s common for parents to think their children are too young to fully understand racism, and they are better off waiting a few years.
However, children start recognizing human faces at around 1 – 3 months old.
The sooner you start the conversation with your children about race and racism, the sooner they will understand it.
Ask Them Questions
If we want to reduce the tension around race conversations, we have to talk about it openly and often.
You can’t know for sure what your child thinks or feels about something unless you ask them.
Asking them a few open-ended questions can help start the conversation and encourage them to open up.
Storytelling
There are several books for children of all ages that dive into racism. If you already have some at home that’s great.
If not, here are some great children’s books you can look into.
You and your child can read the books together, and afterwards, you can talk about it.
You can ask them how the book made them feel, or if you they have any questions.
Keep Up The Conversation
Talking to your children about racism is not a one-time thing. Encouraging them to ask questions whenever they want can help keep the conversation going.
