How can Parents help Children Understand Discrimination?

One of the important jobs of parenting is to help children make sense of the world around them. Some parents may worry that it is too early to expose their children to such crucial topics as racism and discrimination, but it is never too early to start having this discussion with your children. But, make sure you are encouraging your child in an open and honest conversation irrespective of your personal opinion. Though you may find it difficult sometimes to have all these conversations related to multiculturalism, racism, or discrimination, there are some ways to talk to children about racism and discrimination as suggested by Woodland Overseas School, the top CBSE school in Hoshiarpur.

Ways to Talk to Your Child about Discrimination :

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind while talking to kids about discrimination and diversity.

• Don’t Specify the Topic: Make sure you begin the topic just like a conversation, rather than “the talk” about discrimination. It is important to let the discussion open, ongoing, and age-appropriate. It is better to raise discussions based on what they see in their real life, books, television, and games.
• Use Age-Appropriate Language: Sometimes parents make the topic too hard and long for their children that they lose interest. So, it is recommended not to provide kids with too much information at once. Instead, it is better to slow down the process. What you can do is begin the topic with a simple example from real life and present the fact to your child by using age-appropriate language. Suppose your child is playing a video game. You might ask your child, “Is there any female character in this video game?” and wait for the answer. If your child says NO, then ask the further question “Is it justified?” In this way, you can encourage your child to start thinking about discrimination and diversity.
• Don’t Be a Judge: If you hear your child say something discriminatory, don’t make it an issue or hush him/her. You can take this as an opportunity to start a conversation about discrimination to help your child correct his/her misconception.
• Be a Role Model: Children copy the actions of their parents as well as words. So, before you try to teach your child something, make sure you maintain the same thing. For instance, if you laugh at racial behavior, it is quite irrational to think that your child will develop a clear sense of discrimination and diversity.