No matter how hard we try, we can’t protect our kids from the world. We can shower them with love. We can teach them right from wrong. We can make sure they only view positive images on TV and social media, but at some point, they’re going to see the ugliness that is out there.

When the horrible news broke about the violence and loss of life in Charlottesville, Va., my mind started spinning. Like everyone else, I was glued to social media sites and news reports. How was I going to explain this to my child?  How would I approach topics like racism, discrimination, bigotry, etc.? What could I do to make the world a better place? I finally had to stop watching the TV and turn off my phone and quiet my mind and pray.

Our child is too young to understand what’s going on right now, but when the time comes, my husband and I resolved to approach this issue with love and kindness. We also decided to do the following:

♥ Continue being active members of our community supporting events and organizations that fall in line with our beliefs.

♥ Continue exposing our child to as much diversity as we possibly can — making sure we teach him to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

♥ Continue modeling good behavior and in those rare instances when someone is rude to us, continue telling him this: Love them anyway!!

The American Psychological Association created a brochure with tips and resources on how to talk to your child about race. Click on this link for more.