Help the Children!

Dear Readers,

I worry these days about how kids are seeing and reacting to adults behaving, misbehaving, or ignoring important situations, especially regarding the pandemic and rampant racism.

With schools closed and summer approaching, children have plenty of time to take it all in–for better or for worse–and they are taking it in, perhaps more than you know. According to EmbraceRace.org, “[Kids] are fully realized people with observations and opinions about the worlds they live in and aspirations about the ones they want to bring into being.”

As a parent, grandparent, retired teacher, and kids’ author, my plea for parents, teachers, and those who love or work with kids is to please embrace your opportunity. Take all the peace, charity, illness, death, anger, and violence that kids are witnessing or living through, and watch for teachable moments.

Start by giving kids a chance to vent, ask questions, and express their concerns. Read books together. Let kids draw pictures about how they’re feeling and use them as springboards for discussion. Their sharing should guide your teaching.

You don’t have to have kids to know that children are the future. The very near future. Soon, they will be the ones making and enforcing the laws that will affect us all and which will leave a legacy for the generation that follows them. Let’s hope those laws and that legacy are grounded in a strong foundation of inclusion, altruism, peace, and anti-racism. Please do what you can.

To help, I have provided a small list of resources, below. I will keep looking.

So, get a clue, Readers. Children are smarter than many people think. Right now, however, they need our help to sort through their confusion and to learn how to create a world free from racism and hate. Let’s give them the tools and hearts to improve their future–and the world.

 

Here are some resources that might be helpful for teaching anti-racism :

scbwi.org/black-lives-matter-resources/     (This is the website of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators: anti-racism resources; recommended reading; political/justice organizations; petitions; funds)

embracerace.org/resources/     (31 chapter books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance; anti-racist activism; Zoom meetings with expert panels)

readbrightly.com/important-talk-child...     (How to talk to kids about race–books and resources)

harpercollins.com/children’s/books-wi...    (22 picture books to inspire conversations about diversity)

amightygirl.com/blog/?p=14276     (75 books about extraordinary black mighty girls and women)

 

Here are some resources that might be helpful for talking with kids about COVID-19 :

aacap.org     Articles from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are listed under these sections: Talking with Kids About Coronavirus; Talking to Kids About Sick Adults and Lost Loved Ones; Supporting Parents of and Kids with Disabilities; Activities for Kids; General Coping Tips; Helping Parents Cope

hopkinsmedicine.org     Articles from Johns Hopkins Medicine include What is COVID-19 for All Children?; Why Can’t I Visit? How to Talk with Kids About COVID-19; COVID-19 Activity Book; Videos for Parents and Kids.

cdc.gov     Articles from the Centers for Diseases Control include Tips for Talking to Children; Facts About COVID-19 to Discuss with Children; and, many other subtopics.

childlife.org     Articles from the Association of Child Life Professionals are listed under these sections and include many subtopics:  Resources for Children and Teens; Reading Materials and Handouts; Videos; Resources for Parents and Professionals; Handouts; Videos and Podcasts; and others.

prodigygame.com     Resources from Prodigy for Educators, Families, and Prodigy Users. Included is Prodigy’s Top 5 #LearnFromHome Resources for Parents.