By Cheryl Mattox Berry
Once upon a time, professional athletes were considered role models. Then, we found out that some of them battered their girlfriends and wives, consumed drugs and did all sorts of illegal stuff. Thud! They were kicked off the pedestal.
Now, we need to do the same for this president of the United States. In the past, we’ve told our children to respect and strive to be like POTUS. However, we don’t want them to idolize Donald J. Trump. That point was driven home recently by a group of women who met to figure out how to combat Trump’s policies.
“We have to empower our kids at home,” said Janice, mother of a 14-year-old. “We have to tell them what he’s doing is not right.”
Added Toni, a mother of three children: “I’ll say, ‘Yes, he’s your president, but he’s not your role model.'”
Pick any one of Trump’s character flaws (racist, misogynist, liar, ignorant, narcissistic) to start a conversation about why you don’t want your child to emulate him.
You can also look at Trump’s track record to show how his policies are adversely affecting people. For example, discuss the immigration executive order, why federal judges have temporarily halted it and the ban’s impact on individuals and families.
If any family members came from another country, now is the time to share that information. Explain why they came, how they got here and ways they’ve contributed to society. You can also research the role immigrants played in the history of the USA.
Allow your child to share his/her views on the issue before discussing your own. The idea is to get your child used to researching a topic before forming an opinion or accepting someone else’s viewpoint.
It’s difficult to know what children are being told at school about Trump, so parents must have these conversations to set the record straight if necessary.