Issue link: http://hvparent.uberflip.com/i/1202916
hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 23 to intervene in that moment and praised the sharing behavior. She talked about inclusion. Answer your child's ques- tions about race and culture in an age appropriate way. Psychiatrist, Alvin Poussaint, a med- ical doctor, states that there are two critical development ages when race and culture questions are likely to occur, ages six-to-eight and the teen- age years. These stages are times when the child's world is expanding, and his or her values are forming or solidifying. Responding to a child's questions at these stages in simple, honest terms is important. Even a re- sponse of "I don't know" or "let's read about that" can show you are open to learning about different cultures, customs and communities. When your child comes home and declares a classmate has parents of two different races and says, "Isn't that weird?" You may choose to say, "Not weird, just different." When your teen asks, what you think about his school renaming its sports teams because Native Americans find "Redskins" to be offensive, you can use it as an opportunity to discuss your own believes about racial slurs while demonstrating respect that others might not see it differently. If parents lead by vision and example, they can intervene on the divisions in the nation, and homes every day. Laura Lyles Reagan, M.S., is a so- ciologist, parent coach and parent- ing journalist. She is the author of "How to Raise Respectful Parents" and can be reached through her website, www.LauraLReagan.com. Save the date! Feb. 1: Black History Month, Kingston Kick-Off Celebration 2020, including performances, poetry, singing and other fami- ly-friend activities. Feb. 19: The Night James Brown Saved Boston, a filmed tribute to the Godfather of Soul and the role he would come to play in working for civil rights. For more information on these and other events, visit hvparent. com/calendar