How I Talk to My Teen about What is Happening in our Country

Last night, around midnight, I found my eldest teen sitting on the back steps of our house crying. When I opened the door and asked what was happening, she said, "I hate this country." She bawled in my arms and showed me all the outraged social media posts she had seen about what was happening and the innocent lives that were being tortured or lost. She was overwhelmed by the horror.

At first, I hugged her and told her, "It's okay." I was on automatic pilot trying to soothe her. She immediately said, "No! It's NOT okay!" And she was right.

I can't tell you how hard I prayed to have the right words for her.

So I told her, "You're right. It's not okay. And I'm really glad that you can see that."

We went on to talk about how our country was terribly broken right now. That it has been for a long time but that things have gotten worse in recent years. And people are angry and tired of being ignored.

People should be outraged. They should be livid that there is so much injustice, racism, and just plain evil in this world... and especially outraged that it is still happening in our country.

We talked about how looting is wrong, but their protests, anger, and emotions were totally justified.

We talked about George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. We talked about school shootings. We talked about children being separated from their parents and kept in cages or deported back to countries where they have no parents or families.

I talked about how all of this racism and hate wasn't new, but that it is now becoming visible to everyone and cannot be ignored.

I told her how proud I was of her for being upset and angry and just knowing how wrong it is to treat people so horribly. We talked about how God is not a respecter of persons and that we are ALL EQUAL in his sight. I told her how we are all the same no matter what we look like on the outside. And we are all precious and valuable.

My daughter kept whispering that it should be instinct not to kill a person. That pretty much broke my heart.

I talked about how no baby is born racist. That it is a learned characteristic. Learned from examples. And it comes from a lack of education and a lack of exposure to people of all different walks of life.

I told her that her generation actually gave me a lot of hope. Because young people today are finding their voices and they aren't afraid to use them. People like Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, Greta Thunberg, Mala Yousafzai, Autumn Peltier, and so many others.

I think that just talking about it was very therapeutic for her. She calmed down and was able to control her tears. Knowing that her feelings were justified and that she wasn't alone in feeling them was really important to her. So was letting her know that I was proud of her outrage and her ability to see the absolute wrongness of the whole situation.

These difficult issues are just exacerbated by the pandemic. Which makes our journey as individuals, as families, as communities, and as a nation that much more difficult.

Don't be afraid to talk to your children. This is the perfect time to talk about the beliefs you hold to be good and true and right. Encourage your children to be brave in the face of adversity. To realize that they can be hurt for speaking the truth. But that ultimately staying true to ourselves and beliefs is worth it. And speaking up for those who are wronged, hurt, or worse is important otherwise we are guilty of the sin, too.

Silence is acceptance.

Silence is approval.

We are better than that.

Civil Rights Then and Now

Now that the frenzied holidays are over, we're looking forward to getting back into the rhythm of school. We are adding a few new resources this "semester" and I thought I would share them, as well as a few others with you...just in case you are looking for new materials to incorporate into your homeschool lessons, too.

This post contains affiliate links.

My favorite addition to our homeschool lessons this month is the new Woo! Jr. book, Civil Rights Then and Now: A Timeline of the Fight for Equality in America (aff link) by Kristina Brooke Daniele.

The book is divided into two parts. Part One: Civil Rights Then gives a brief overview of the American civil rights movement dating back to 1776 when our nation was established. It talks about:

• important abolitionists and activists, 
• the South after the Civil War, 
• the Civil Rights Era Movement and leaders, and
• landmark cases and amendments.

All of the information is written in short sections and perfect for middle schoolers. There's no extra fluff, which my 7th grader appreciates. He wants to know what and who and why and that's it. 

At the end, there is a section with questions to check reading comprehension. 

Part Two: Civil Rights Now covers the movement in modern times and what has happened since the 1950s and 60s. It discusses violence against black Americans and highlights modern era movements and leaders. Landmark cases and amendments are featured again. 

In the back of the book is a comprehensive reading list and references for further research. There's also a glossary of terms to help students better understand the vocabulary used in the book.

All of the information is presented in a concise format with careful attention to the timeline so that the student can understand the progression, as well as the contributing factors to the civil rights movement.

While the book does talk about civil rights as a whole, it touches only briefly on illegal immigration reform, Islamophobia, and Occupy Wall Street protests, etc. The main focus of this book is on racism, discrimination, and prejudice - specifically their effect on African Americans. The Black Lives Matter movement is clearly explained and events leading to its formation are provided. There are sensitive and graphic events included - such as the murder of Philando Castille and the Massacre at Emmanuel African American Methodist Episcopal Church - but they are presented in a factual and appropriate fashion without gory details. As always, though, parents and teachers should review material before presenting to their children/students.

Overall, this book is an excellent resource for parents wishing to explore the current climate of racism and discrimination that exists in the U.S., as well as its history. The comprehension questions not only explore the child's understanding of what he or she has read, but encourage critical thinking and problem-solving. 

The book can easily be covered in one semester and is best suited for kids in 5th through 8th grades.