How do you talk to your kids about the complex issues facing our society? For many parents, they are left at a loss. Black Fathers Incorporated Founder Kenneth Braswell was no different. He found himself unable to give an age appropriate answer to a question about the Black Lives Matter protests posed to him by his six year old son.
When his son asked what was going on in Baltimore, Braswell says “I realized I didn’t have a six year old answer. I had a 25, 35,40, 50 year old answer; so I struggled with how I was going to explain to him what was going on and what he was seeing on TV.”
When discussing the issue with other parents, he realized he was not alone. So, at the suggestion of a friend, he decided to formulate his six year old answer in the form of a children’s book. Daddy, There’s a Noise Outside gives parents an opportunity to open up the dialogue of healthy protest.
Says Braswell, “the book is not specific to the events that are (currently) taking place. The broader conversation around this subject matter for our children is what does protest mean? What does protest look like?”
He continues, “So if you explain to them and help them understand the mechanisms of protest and why you protest, you can talk to them about King, you can talk to them about (Malcolm) X, you can talk to them about Ghandi, you can talk to them about Mother Theresa, you can talk to them about a plethera of things that begin to help them understand when they see this kind of unrest in the community.”
You can buy Daddy There’s a Noise Outside on the Father’s Incorporated Website. And, for every one who purchases the book on their website during Black History Month, they will receive a free copy of the Ebook Guide.
BMWK, how have you explained protesting to your kids?