Tools for Family Conversations

Introduction

We know it can be hard to know what to say to your children about current events when they involve bias, bigotry, and/or violence. We have collected the resources on how to have skillful and helpful conversations from a broad range of organizations to help families guide these talks at home. We update these resources frequently, so please check back often.

GENERAL RESOURCES ON TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT DIFFICULT TOPICS

ADL: "Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events " (These guides for discussing specific current events with children include a topic summary, questions to start the conversation and dig deeper, ideas for taking action, and additional resources. Each guide also includes a recommended age range.)
Kurtz Psychology: "How to Talk to Kids about What They See on the News"
ADL: "Empowering Young People in the Aftermath of Hate"
Commonsense Media: "How to Talk to Kids about Violence, Crime, and War"

Gun Violence Resources

American Psychology Association: "Talking to Kids About School Shootings (PDF)"
Anti-Defamation League: Helping Students Make Sense of News Stories About Bias and Injustice
Anti-Defamation League: Gun Violence and Mass Shootings
National Association of School Psychologists: Talking to Children About Violence
National Child Traumatic Stress Network: "Talking to Children About Shootings (PDF)"
National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement: "Talking to Kids About School Tragedies"
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: "Tips for Helping Children and Youth Cope with a Traumatic Event"

Islamphobia Materials

Islamphobia and Being an Ally (Table Talk parent/family discussion guide)
Anti-Muslim Bigotry and Being an Ally (lesson plan)
Education Resources on Refugees, Muslim People and Anti-Muslim Bigotry (collection of lesson plans, Table Talks, teaching tools,
children’s books, etc.)
Helping Students Make Sense of News Stories about Bias and Injustice (teaching tool)

Talking to Children About Anti-Gay Speech

Ukraine Conflict Resources

Commonsense Media: “How to Talk to Kids about Violence, Crime, War”
Verywell Family: “Talking to Your Kids about War”
The Conversation: “How to Talk to Children About the Invasion of Ukraine, and Why Those Conversations are Important”
New York Times: “How to Talk to Kids About Ukraine”
USA Today: How to Answer Kids’ Questions about the Draft
Save the Children: "How to Talk to Children About the Conflict in Ukraine"

Police Reform Resources

Jewish Education Project: "Talking to Kids About Police Violence"
WBUR: "How to Talk to Your Kids about Race, Racism, and Police Violence
NPR: "Having the Talk: Expert Guidance on Preparing Kids for Police Interactions"
Embrace Race: "Supporting Kids Of Color in The Wake of Racialized Violence: Part One"
Embrace Race: "Supporting Kids Of Color in The Wake of Racialized Violence: Part Two"

Anti-Asian Bias Resources

Massachusetts Asian American Commission: “Anti-Asian Hate Resources”
National Geographic: “Talking to Kids about Xenophobia”
Immigrant History Initiative: “Talking to Kids about Asian American Identity and Racism”
Asian American Psychological Association: Bullying Awareness Campaign
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP): Letter to the Editor with Native Americans in Philanthropy directing philanthropy to act in support of their invisible communities.
AAPIP: Supporting API Communities Resource Directory
Asian Women Giving Circle: "The Root Cause of Anti-Asian Racist Violence" (extensive list of podcasts, articles, bystander intervention trainings, mental health resources for AAPI folks, and more.

Holocaust Materials

Students in California learn about the Holocaust and other genocides in 10th grade. AUSD high schools often try to bring Holocaust survivors in to speak to students, but it isn't always possible. Families who would like their students to read or listen to the stories of Holocaust survivors can find testimonies on the following websites:

Holocaust Learning: "Survivor Stories"
Holocaust Survivors
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: "Behind Every Name a Story"
Holocaust Center for Humanity: Survivor Stories
Shoah Foundation (USC): Testimonies

Anti-Racism Resources

Anti-Defamation League: George Floyd, Racism, and Law Enforcement
CNN: "How to Talk to Your Children About Protests and Racism"
National Equity Project: "Black Lives Matter Instructional Library" (picture books read aloud)
Penn Graduate School of Education: "Talking to Children after Racial Incidents"
Child Mind Institute: Talking to Children about Racism and Violence