When it comes to talking to your kids about Pride, it’s natural that you feel a little unsure and doubt if you can even do it right in the first place. Nevertheless, it’s essential to talk to your kids about PRIDE because that’s how you can encourage them to remain true to themselves and appreciate and accept a truly inclusive society. Before you talk, consider their age and maturity level to ensure they receive what you want to discuss in the right way. Here are three ways you can approach this topic with your kid.
Teaching Kids About Pride
1. Keep it simple
You don’t have to know everything to start a conversation. Sometimes, this can be as simple as telling your kids that we can’t judge someone by their appearance as they could be feeling different inside. It helps them understand that everybody is different and everyone deserves love and respect. It also emphasizes the fact that there is nothing wrong with being friends with people who are different from us.
Recommended reading: Books That Teach Kids About the Fluidity Of Gender and the Importance of Acceptance
2. Break gender stereotypes
As parents, we need to be responsible when picking our kids’ clothes, toys, and books. Because these are the subtle ways to expose kids to what they could possibly like. Be mindful of whether you are reinforcing any gender stereotypes.
When you guide them toward a typical gender expression, by getting a Barbie doll for your girl child and sports cars for your boy, you not just define what they ‘should’ like but also send a message that they can’t like things other than that. To avoid this, give them as many choices as possible and find out what they seem to be interested in, rather than limiting their options based on what you think they would like.
3. Listen and support without judgement
We live in a society that constantly tries to put us in a box, telling us what to do and how we should be. While as adults, it’s challenging to be one’s authentic self without the fear of being judged, young children who could possibly be LGBTQ+ have this fear of not fitting in.
While we can’t know by ourselves if our kid is queer, it’s our responsibility to help them feel comfortable being who they are by encouraging them to talk about how they feel. Support them in the way they want to express themselves and make them feel safe. This can start with a conversation about whether they are a boy or a girl and how they know that to be true. If they identify with being LGBTQ+, it’s essential to be supportive by letting them wear what they want, get a haircut, and use a name that aligns with their identity.
Books To Teach Your Kids About Pride
These resources are meant as a support to parents to educate and talk to their children about the LGTBQ+ experience and should not be treated as the only material needed.
To conclude,
To talk to your kids about Pride is not a one-time thing. These conversations continue as they grow up. Hence, we must start it early to prevent children from being affected by anti-LGBTQ prejudice while learning about it from their surroundings. These open conversations with them also provide them with a sense of safety and security, as they know that there’s always someone they can talk to and rely on.
