“If we are to reach real peace in the world, we shall have to begin with the children.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
We care . . . We care about our children. We care about the world—from the community that nurtures them now, to the country that we will pass on to them in the future.
We are concerned . . . We are concerned about the culture of divisiveness that seems to be on the rise.
But what can we do to make it better? To turn things around? To move toward a world that is more inclusive, equitable, just, and uplifting?
We already have more than enough on our plate every day — but we cannot give up! Caring, concerned families are in a perfect position to change the world. Starting at home. With our children.
We can plant and nurture seeds of change that will grow and spread, surely and steadily changing our families, our community, our city, and beyond.
But where do we start?
We read stories with our kids . . . stories that lift us out of our same-old everyday routine, take us to new places, introduce us to new people, help us experience new things and different ways of being in the world.
Stories spark new ideas
Ideas lead to questions and start conversations between parents and kids, about things that can sometimes seem tricky—topics we tend to avoid addressing, like:
“ There’s a girl like that at my school. No one plays with her.”
“ His skin is so dark. What happened to him?”
“ Will I be white when I grow up?”
Kids do see color . . . and other differences in people, starting in infancy, when their full-time attention is devoted to making sense out of the world around them. They see colors, they see shapes, they see objects—and we eagerly help them learn about those things. So when we don’t talk about the differences they see in people, they sense something is wrong. In their own minds, they try to make sense of the differences in people. But they need us to be willing to listen to their concerns and offer our guidance as they learn about race and diversity too.
What do we say? How do we know what our child is able to comprehend?
Starting with Stories is dedicated to helping families raise racially aware kids. Our mission is to encourage, equip, and support families with young children to rethink how they discuss race and diversity. We can help find the best books and resources. We can help figure out what to say. We can suggest things families can do. We can connect like-minded families together to bond over common goals.
We invite you to JOIN US!
You will be planting seeds for change in the world and watching them grow, surely and steadily. And you will know that you are most definitely helping to create a better future, not only for your child(ren), but for your community, your city, your country, the world.
Notice difference. Understand difference. Celebrate difference. Make a difference.
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