Did you know that according to UNICEF, babies as young as 6 months old notice physical differences including skin color, and studies show that by the age of 5 children treat people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds differently, favoring some over others.
Inequality is everywhere, there is simply no way to shield children from it. So what can you do? Arm your children with awareness. Ignoring inequality doesn’t protect your children from it. When kids are exposed to bias, discrimination and inequality without understanding what is happening, they can feel isolated, lost and unsafe, which negatively impacts their confidence, development and emotional well being.
To arm your children with awareness and understanding of inequality requires getting comfortable talking about difficult topics, like ableism, sexims, racism and classism. The earlier parents start having these discussions the more effective their children will be in dealing with the challenges of inequality that they encounter every day.
In todays episode we are joined by Mallika Chopra, daughter of the well known thought leader, Deepack Chopra. Mallika is a mother, author and public speaker. She has written a series of ‘Just Be’ books for children to help them tackle difficult topics like body positivity, diversity and inclusion. These include Just Breathe, Just Feel, and Just Be You. Here, she discusses how to arm your children with awareness, and why this is critical to helping the next generation navigate and overcome the inequality that exits in everyday life.