The recent protests sparked by the death of George Floyd (as well as Breonna Taylor and many other people of color) have affected families with young children in many different ways.

How parents talk with their children about the protests will certainly be influenced by each family’s lived experience with racism and their beliefs about how change happens.

In other families, especially white families, this may be the first time parents have discussed racism with their children.

[H2] For Children Who Have Experienced Trauma

If your child has directly experienced racism or violence based on their identity, your family will likely need more support than the tips included in this article.

[H3] Sources

Brown, T. N., Tanner-Smith, E. E., Lesane-Brown, C. L., and Ezell, M. E., “Child, Parent, and Situational Correlates of Familial Ethnic/Race Socialization,” 2007 Burke Harris, Nadine, The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma, 2018 DiAngelo, Robin, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, 2018 PBS Kids for Parents, “Helping Children with Tragic Events in the News,” 2018

[H3] Learn More

Anti-Bias Education

Cole, Kirsten, and Verwayne, Diandra, “Teaching and Learning about Race and Racism with Young Children and their Families,” 2018

NPR, “Talking Race with Young Children,” 2019

Teaching Tolerance