Friends,
I’ve often referred to this season we’re in as “strange.” Maybe under the quarantine and stay-at-home orders, that word worked. Now, because of the turmoil of protestors added to what’s going on, it’s not a strong enough word.
What words have you used? Astonishing? Bizarre? Extraordinary? Outlandish? Peculiar? Remarkable? Weird? Aberrant? Mystifying? Perplexing?
What words do you think children are using? Or maybe they’re thinking them and not verbalizing them? Bad. Scary. Weird. Strange. Loud. Confusing. Aggravating. Long.
If you’re talking with your children about the riots, I encourage you to think about these things:
- Why are you talking about what’s going on? Do you want to help your children understand current circumstances, understand similar circumstances that could happen in their future, or both? How is your answer influencing what you share and how you share it?
- Are you using the word riot, disturbance, protest, or something else when talking about what’s going on? Does it matter what we call it? What do you think it says about you that you call it what you do? (Looking the words up in a dictionary is revealing and could cause a great discussion with your older children.)
- If your child asks you, “Why are all those people fighting?” what would you say? Why is that the spin you’ll give the situation? Is it a spin? What wouldn’t you want to say? Why?
- These last questions. These have especially caused me to slow down and think. What biases are showing up in your feelings, thoughts, questions, and answers that are influencing your beliefs and misbeliefs? Would you want your children to know your biases? Why or why not? What caused them? Do you have strong beliefs that created the biases? Or do you think you did and are surprised now to realize they’re not as strong as you thought they were? What can change them? Will you work at it? Why or why not? How?
What questions have you been pondering? I’d love to know. Please “reply” and let me know.
Dr. Kathy
