“Equality, Pride, Hope & Love – That’s a message we would all like our kids to embrace and understand.”
Every June is Pride Month where the world celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning (LGBTQ) community. Your kids will hear the words, see the flags and it’s common for them to start asking questions. At what age you discuss this topic with your children varies greatly on your cultural background, religion, parental choices and more, there is no fixed time and you as parents know when it’s best to discuss this with your child. This feature sets out a few simple ways to start that conversation when you are ready and how parents can explain Pride Month to their young children.
Explaining Pride Month to Children: Why Parents Need to Start the Conversation
There is no better time to start talking to your children about LGBTQ+ than during Pride Month, which commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion and spreads awareness about the community and its history.
As any parent knows children absorb everything they see and hear and they are exposed to conversations daily that they may overhear from their peers, older siblings or even older students as school if they are in a larger school environment. It’s better to hear the ‘actual facts’ from people they trust than become confused and afraid over misconceptions they may hear for themselves.
Thankfully we are now living in a more tolerant and open world and kids may see their friends have 2 dads or 2 mums and they need to understand that’s OK and that it doesn’t matter who you love, if a child feels loved and accepted for who they are, they will in turn grow into an adult who loves and accepts other.
Opening up to kids about Pride at a young age can help shape how they feel about the community in general. Being exposed to diversity and inclusion at an early age allows children to better carry that mindset throughout their lives. We’ve provided some tips from experts on how to explain pride month to your child.
