02/15/2024
As you prepare your kiddo for school tomorrow, remember that they are walking into a classroom with multiple different levels of awareness, involvement, and perspectives on the parade events.
As a mom of a deeply feeling first grader who hasn’t yet heard about what happened, I’ve been sick thinking about how to talk to her about what I know she’ll inevitably hear.
Below are my thoughts and ideas, and I’d love to hear your ideas as well!
Script for preparing:
“Today at school, you’re going to hear stories about different things that happened at the parade and I want to hear all about what you hear!
You can always come to me when you have questions about things that you’ve heard.
I also have a story I want to read with you tonight when you get home.” (See poem/“story” by swiping)
This approach helps prepare her for conversations that she may hear at school, and feel security in her ability to talk to you when she hears things that she wants clarification on.
It also allows you to be prepared with explaining as much as needed to her, but allows you to wait and adjust what she hears from you based on what she’s already heard at school. In this approach, you do not have to give her any more info than what is necessary.
There are many more approaches to these conversations, including you delivering the first message that you desire your child to hear about the event to prepare them for conversations at schools.
Regardless of the route you choose, it’s our job as parents to influence the dialogue around the parade events so we allow healthy channels for communication and build up the mental health of today’s kids.
There’s not a “right” way to have these conversations, because THIS isn’t right. But the amount of conversations had between influential adults and children is exactly what we can all focus on immediately, today, to protect our kids. The message we should be focused on is teaching empathy. Compassion. Strength. Resilience. And our role in doing the right thing. ❤️Our hearts are with those who have experienced trauma today. We will be here to support the kids in our amazing Kansas City community.
