How do we talk to our kids about tough questions?
We started our careers as news photographers, covering conflict and feature stories across the globe. Then these wild and crazy boys came into our lives and ever since, we’ve been compiling stories to share with them. Truth is, life can be as beautiful as it is tragic. We were lucky enough to be welcomed with kindness in most circumstances. Unfortunately, we have also witnessed countless atrocities which human beings have inflicted upon each other as well as many vulnerable inhabitants of this planet. We never wanted to shield our children from this reality. After all, we always believed that an honest representation of life will help them become better, more conscientious global citizens. How do we introduce our boys to the truth in a way that won’t overwhelm or paralyze them?
RESOURCES
Like many of you who are parents know, the answer varies depending on the personality and maturity of the children. What worked for us has been gentle honesty. Our boys’ health and safety are our utmost priority, so we know we aren’t able to take them everywhere with us. Each assignment we get is an opportunity for us to bring home stories to our boys and we certainly take advantage of their curiosity at this age. They happen to be quite portable as well, and whenever we get a chance, we get to experience everything anew through their eyes.
We’ve been photographers a lot longer than we’ve been parents, but we’ve realized that our legacy is not about what we leave behind for the world to see, but how we teach our sons to see the world. Through all the regions and countries we’ve visited, we’ve collected bits of knowledge about the places and people we meet. We’re excited to share our journey with you. We also have a lot of #parentingfails, so we’ve collaborated with experts in the field to come up with resources on how to talk to the young ones about the good and the bad. We hope that with these resources, our little ones and yours can feel empowered to contribute and play a part in building a kinder, safer future.
The Conscious Kid is a great resource for parents wanting to teach their kids about racial equity, privilege, implicit bias, etc.
Common Sense Media is a great site to get input age appropriate movies, books, apps and games kids are into nowadays and everything else in between.
Child Mind Institue has a great blog on mental health and the dynamics between parents and children.