Talking to Kids....About Everything

I recently learned that Disney is creating a new show with the first openly bisexual lead character. After releasing the news that Spongebob Squarepants is indeed gay a few months ago, this seemed like another step in a natural progression of an all-inclusive approach. While reading more about the premier of the show, I couldn’t help but scan through the comments of the article, and what I saw was incredibly disappointing.

“If this isn’t happening in my house, why should my children be exposed to it?”

It’s hard to read anything these days without being exposed to very stark opinions, but this one really threw me for a loop. Should we not teach our children about different races? Religions? Abilities? Genders? If someone in your house isn’t abusing your child, should you teach them about the dangers of child sexual abuse? It scares me to think that we aren’t preparing our children for real life experiences.

I’ve heard a similar statement in the past, when I used to visit schools to talk to children about sexual abuse. Parents were often hesitant about teaching their children proper anatomical terms for their bodies, as if teaching them the word “penis” would cause them to go around wanting to grope everyone. 

I can’t imagine what the world would be like if we didn’t talk to children about things that happened outside of our own homes. How would they respond to people of different races? People with disabilities? People of a different sexual orientation?

Jordann Mason, Community Outreach Director

I do understand that these conversations can be difficult, or feel uncomfortable. However, children feed off of our energy. They believe topics are uncomfortable, because we’ve taught them to feel this way. Speak openly and honestly; you might be surprised by how accepting children can be.