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Jan. 29th, 2017 08:37 pm One of the difficulties that I am finding in the age of Trump is parenting. More to the point, discussing what's going on in this nation to my six year old son. And before you complain that six might be a bit to young to be discussing Trump's actions, let me tell you the kids are discussing it a lot on the bus and at school. Finn seems to come home with a very basic and often skewed understanding of the highlights every day. It seems that most of the kids are pro-Trump. :(
So I've been stressing to him that Trump's policies are bad, that they hurt people, but they are not directed at him. That he won't see changes in his life due to Trump, but other people will. This isn't, of course, 100% true, but at six he needs to feel safe and he won't understand how many of the changes that will effect him will, well, effect him.
So tonight we talked about the wall and we talked about the ban. We discussed how fortunate we are to live where we live; that we don't have war and poverty. And we discussed how some people are much less fortunate than we are. We discussed how in other parts of the world there are wars waging that force people to flee-often with nothing but the clothes on their backs. We discussed how the trip is scary and dangerous and uncertain for those people. And we discussed how very good and important it was to give them a safe new home.
And then we discussed what Trump has done. We discussed people, old and young, stranded at airports with no where to go. People who thought that they could come here that can't, not now.
It's a lot for a six year old, though nothing in comparison to the many, many six year old refugees in the world. But it is so important to teach my son the value of bringing people together and I regime so keen on tearing people apart.
So I've been stressing to him that Trump's policies are bad, that they hurt people, but they are not directed at him. That he won't see changes in his life due to Trump, but other people will. This isn't, of course, 100% true, but at six he needs to feel safe and he won't understand how many of the changes that will effect him will, well, effect him.
So tonight we talked about the wall and we talked about the ban. We discussed how fortunate we are to live where we live; that we don't have war and poverty. And we discussed how some people are much less fortunate than we are. We discussed how in other parts of the world there are wars waging that force people to flee-often with nothing but the clothes on their backs. We discussed how the trip is scary and dangerous and uncertain for those people. And we discussed how very good and important it was to give them a safe new home.
And then we discussed what Trump has done. We discussed people, old and young, stranded at airports with no where to go. People who thought that they could come here that can't, not now.
It's a lot for a six year old, though nothing in comparison to the many, many six year old refugees in the world. But it is so important to teach my son the value of bringing people together and I regime so keen on tearing people apart.
