For many of us, the year 2020 came in like a hurricane. As parents, we have been dealing with trying to keep our families safe from COVID-19, homeschooling our children and working from home. As difficult as that may be, our country has been even further turned upside down by the senseless killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, which sparked a nationwide protest being played out daily on every primary channel. As our children head back to school, in addition to preparing the school supplies and new clothes, let’s ensure we’re also having vital conversations about the beauty of diversity and how to treat others. Where to start? I cannot describe the feeling I had when I heard George Floyd call out for his mother in his last words while a police officer brutally murdered him. His call was a call for ALL mothers. Stand up, help, be an advocate. I have had a few white friends reach out to me to ask, “Tamecca, where do I start? I want to talk to my children about all of this, but I don’t have the words.” My first response is: tend to yourself first. That may sound selfish. However, I believe this topic is so heavy and disturbing it’s essential to have your mental mind-frame and emotional health intact before you engage in the conversation about race, racism and social injustice with your children. Explain race to toddlers I vividly remember grocery shopping with my 3-year-old son and overhearing a white child, who appeared to be the same age as my son, pointing at my son and asking his mother, “Why is his skin brown?” Immediately, the mom’s face turned red, she tried to hush her son and she apologized to me with embarrassment. I asked the child his name, introduced my son to him and briefly explained what melanin is and how amazing it is to live in a world with so many kinds of people in it. I could visibly see the mom in the grocery store was embarrassed. However, that was an important opportunity for a teachable moment. Sometimes as parents when our younger children point and ask questions about people who are different than us, we tend to tell them “stop that, that’s rude” without giving them explanations. We must explain, we must engage, even when it is an uncomfortable topic like race, racism and injustice. A great first step can be reading books about race and racism, with several helpful options listed at the end of this article and at metrofamilymagazine.com/anti-racism-books. Talking to kids about RACISM BY DR. TAMECCA ROGERS . PHOTOS BY DENICE TOOMBS .
DR. TAMECCA ROGERS AND HER THREE SONS.
Initiate conversations with older children Older elementary children tend to be more aware of current events. You can’t turn on the TV without seeing protests over police brutality and the killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Initiate conversation to discover how much your child already knows. Then, engage in dialogue about the violence against Black people without being too graphic with elementary kids. Fairness is a concept all children comprehend. Start a conversation about recent events like this: “There are things taking place in our country that are playing out in the media that are very upsetting. Regrettably, some police officers made terrible choices based on someone’s skin color. That’s wrong.” Explain that police officers should be helpful, and most are; however in some instances, for some people, that’s not a certainty. Teach your children that stereotypes and preconceived opinions can be hurtful to all involved and give some examples. Additionally, share America’s history of the mistreatment of Black and brown people.
32 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2020
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online