I felt like I was in the twilight zone earlier. "Well, yes, but no... I mean..."
Been there!
My response was something like: "Well that all depends on whether or not it's accurate and the only person who would really know whether or not it's accurate is the person it was used to accuse."
Then we discussed the relevant principles / concepts and that was that. I think I learned more from him than he did from me.
We could all learn from kids...JMHO
Agreed and in my experience, they're more than happy to tell you exactly what they think in a dead-serious kind of way! That's my favorite part :)
The answer is just no. It isn't a bad word and most of the time when you hear people use it, they don't even know what it means. Don't not like someone because of the color of their skin. That's enough for a five year old.
Children need to be taught right from wrong, and learn loving values from parents, and teachers. They can learn not to be "racist", and that racist is a bad trait by parents role-modeling love In action, and expecting their children to love everyone, and talk to them and discipline them when they hate. In my opinion it is an important family value to teach children otherwise we will have a narcissistic, and selfish , and violent society. Oh wait, I think we already have that. But we can try again with the next generation.
The only problem is that then you have to explain to a 5-year-old what racism is.
That's deep. Do you get in that far with a really young child?
That doesn't really answer the question, though. If a 5-year-old comes to you and doesn't understand the concept of racism, and wants to know if the word is bad, how do you answer the child?
No, honey. It describes a bad person. It is not a bad word. It is a good word describing a very bad, very sick mind.
That kind of person doesn't love you unless you are the same color, and you have to think just like he does or he will try and hurt you. So it is a very important word. You need to use it when someone tries to hurt you because you don't act and look the way they want because they don't like things you cannot change about yourself. That is stupid and evil. Those are not bad words either. Those are words to describe racists.
lol Funny story.
My youngest knows how to navigate YouTube. We have a rule where he can surf on his own, but if he hears bad words, he has to change the video. His big sister (age 8) is the one that overheard the word and told him he had to change the video, so he came to me and asked. I find it doubtful the word was used in the right context. My youngest is a fan of video game walk-throughs and that's what he was watching at the time.
lol But he was ambushed. It was for real. ;)
Oh jeez, I think he was about 6 or 7 when he asked about it. So you might have something on the age difference. But generally, yes. I have always tried to give him the facts as I know them in a language he understands, nothing more or less.
Then I ask: "What do you think about that," sit back and listen. lol I am still constantly surprised at how his mind deconstructs it down to a conclusion.
Although, I should probably point out that he is an only child, he has no siblings and has been surrounded primarily by adults his whole life. I don't know if that makes a difference, but I have been having "deep" conversations with him before he could even talk. So... idk.
I do that with mine as well. They've always been incredibly verbal and say some very insightful stuff.
