CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Parents, it is important to understand that our children see the things we see.
Understand that the fear that keeps us up at night is keeping our kids up also. As a father of six children, I always tried to shield my children from the events of the world around them.
I soon discovered what a great disservice I did because I never allowed them to gain their own perspective on events of the day. I learned that we can not shield our kids from the world as much as we would love to. With access to social media and their peers, there is more access to the world today.
We must be willing to have age-appropriate conversations with our children explaining to them the things they see. We have to listen without judgment.
We must listen to shift them in the right direction, the direction away from fear. It is important to be proactive and shift their minds in a place where they can discern what they see and create their own perspective on how they would fix the problem if granted the opportunity.
It is our responsibility to explain what they are witnessing and why they are witnessing it. This is the new age of parenthood in the 21st century.