All News & StoriesPride is a time of celebration and an opportunity to increase awareness of LGBTQIA+ identity and community. It is important to take moments throughout the month to celebrate diversity together. For young children, this may look like conversations about similarities and differences or simply making observations about their own self. Regardless, we encourage you to join the community and your child in celebrating Pride.
Learn the history together
Learning about LGBTQIA+ history provides context and increases awareness. While it is a time of celebration, Pride is more than rainbows and parades. How you choose to share the history with your child will depend on your child’s age and your family. But, we want you to have a few tools to get the conversation started:
- Learn about the history of Pride and how to explain it to your child.
- Watch about the history of Pride parades and the Stonewall Inn with your child.
- Read The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag with your child.
Have conversations together
Young children are naturally curious. They ask a million questions as they soak in the world around them. It can be difficult to navigate conversations about diversity, but talking about diversity is an essential step in teaching kindness and combating prejudice.
Parker Morris, a therapist specializing in working with the LGBTQ+ community, encourages families to frame the conversation in a positive, resilient tone. He states, “Kids really understand the idea of fairness. It’s something that’s very intrinsic to how they go about their lives day to day. And that also makes it a more active discussion. If something is unfair, we want to make it fair, right? So, you’re not concentrating on the act that is unfair but concentrating on how we can fix it.”
In short, keep the conversation simple, answer questions honestly, and don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”
Attend the events together
Going to events that celebrate differences provides children the opportunity to notice similarities and differences outside of their own family and culture. Luckily, the month of June is filled with amazing events celebrating Pride. You can find many of these events at Indypride.org! One of the more popular events is the Indy Pride Festival. Children under 12 can attend for free when accompanied by an adult, and there is a Family Zone with entertainment and vendors geared toward children and their families.
Celebrate Pride at home together
Child Care Answers is here for you this June! Explore our 30 days of Pride calendar to celebrate Pride at home. From book lists to rainbow art, there is surely something here for your family.
