What To Say To Your Kids When You Dont Have a Clue
We average about one conversation a week, with one or other of our children, during which we are suddenly at a total loss as to what to say. Perhaps you too have had a few Tough Questions like these:\n\xa0Is Santa real?\n\xa0What is racism?\n\xa0If I go to heaven, will my toys come too?\n\xa0When answering Tough Questions like these, Amy feels that it\u2019s important not to have innocence-ending conversations too early. She calls it \u201cage-appropriate obfuscation.\u201d Keep it simple, keep it reassuring.\n\xa0But Margaret likes to call this approach \u201cSay \u2018Delay,\u2019 Run Away,\u201d and she has somewhat of a point. The Tough Questions need to be answered, and if a parent doesn\u2019t step up, a kid might just seek out some peer education, bound to be rife with misinformation.\n\xa0In this episode, we discuss\n\xa0\n\xa0* why it\u2019s hard to explain concepts like racism to children young enough to be unaware of it\n\xa0* how to let the child lead any delicate discussion with her questions (rather than your answers)\n\xa0* the power of the pause before responding\n\xa0* why you should always leave a little bit left over to divulge for next time\n\xa0* why we all just have to figure out the Easter Bunny back story already\n\nHere\u2019s some of the best advice we have collected:\n\n* from Meg\u2019s sister in law: Only answer the question you are asked.\n* from educator Danielle McLaughlin: \u201cIn order to actually engage our children, we need to find out what it is that they already know and what are they seeking to understand.\u201d\n* from Michael Thompson, PhD: \u201cPausing for a moment\u2026lets your child know you are taking him seriously.\u201d\n* from PBS Parents: save a little bit of information for the next conversation on the same topic. Cause it\u2019s coming.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices