Status quo parenting is not an option

The other day, while reading Louie nursery rhymes from an old, hand-me-down Mother Goose collection, I was horrified to find anti-Semitic rhymes and illustrations in it. So, in the middle of our cozy unwinding time, I had to stop and explain to Louie why these things were bad and why we were going to get rid of this book.

Who knew that Mother Goose could be so prejudiced? Then again, it serves as a reminder that we are not that far removed from generalized and normalized hatefulness towards minorities. And that we have to actively examine the sources and history of our cultural institutions. Prejudices of all sorts are the background noise of all our childhoods.

I let my kids be kids, but I also teach them that they will bear responsibility for the world around them. It is not okay to let bigotry or unkindness stand unchallenged. And they have the strength and capacity to do the challenging. Giving them space and practice now to be an upstander is an essential part of building a better world.