Allyship And Power With My 7-Year Old

I am not a fan of gossip, and will stop it in its tracks if it heads my way.

But sometimes there are gifts in the grapevine.

This morning, I woke to a message from another parent in my son's class, asking if I knew anything about the isolation and bullying of S.

I didn't, but I figured that my 7-year-old did.

It turns out that he and my 10-year old knew A LOT.

My son and daughter were able to name names and give details. Since I know the parents well, I felt comfortable addressing it with them without apology. Thankfully, they were grateful and action-oriented, rather than dismissive.

During our 25-minute ride to school today, we talked all about what it means to be a BYSTANDER and what it means to be an ALLY. We talked about POWER, and it's different forms.

This is not the first time we've had these conversations, and it won't be the last.

I don't remember having these conversations when I was young.

Do you?
Did your families talk openly about bullying and racism?
Did your families teach you about allyship?

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.

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