Many parents are making steps to talk to their children about race and police brutality. Permanente child and adolescent psychologist, Dr. Asha Patton-Smith, provides some guidance on how to speak with your children.
Ways to approach the subject depends on how old your kids are, Dr. Patton-Smith says no matter the age, first listen attentively.
She said to put aside your “parent lens” of what you think your child understands about the case. Listen to how they’re feeling, what they’re seeing and what other kids their age are talking about. This will give you an understanding of how they’re interpreting the information.
For the younger kids, they might not grasp what happened in the George Floyd case but if you as the mom or dad are stressed or anxious about what happened or happy with the conviction, they will pick up on it. Reassure them that they are safe, said Patton-Smith.
Watch the News4 clip to learn more from Dr. Asha Patton-Smith, about how to approach the subjects.
