It's safe to say that the current state of the USA has opened the door for a lot of inexcusable actions.
Far too many people have taken the term "locker room talk" and defended some foul comments made by not only the president, but just people in our every day lives.
One dad, Derek Steele, had enough of the defense and wanted to teach his sons (aged 7 and 4) what it's like to be a real man.
Steele took to Facebook and wrote an open letter to his sons, and it took the internet by storm.
It's a really powerful message to boys and men everywhere, explaining that what the President said and how it was defended is not how the real world works.
Honestly, why didn't Derek Steele run for President of the United States? His words are so powerful and so important to hear.
The people are Parents.com turned to Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, child psychologist, to ask how parents can speak to their kids when things like this hit the news. This is what they learned:
- If your child is very young (under age 5), you can simply say, "Those are not words we use," or "Our family does not talk that way. Children at this age love the idea of loyalty and belonging, and they will quickly get that this is "how we roll" in this home.
- As your child gets older, let him know his words have power and should be carefully chosen. Words can leave people feeling safe or unsafe, equal or unequal, valued or not valued.
- Talk about what to do if your child hears "locker room talk" outside your home. Say, "If we hear that kind of talk, provided it is safe to do so, we really do need to speak up," Dr. Lapointe says. "It might be as simple as, 'I'm not interested in being part of this conversation,' or 'I think what you are saying is a problem.'"
- The surest way to teach kids these values is for them to see you modeling them. If you hear someone say something like "she throws like a girl," make sure you are jumping in and saying that isn't appropriate. If you hear a racist joke, have your children hear you shutting down the joke teller. "It is in the trickle down of your actions that your children will be filled up with...what it takes to be full of compassion, empathy, and advocacy," Dr. Lapointe says.
Do you agree with Derek Steele's words? Let us know!