Cultural Competence A-Z: Y is for Youth

I know what you're thinking...

Ummm, duh! This whole series is about helping kids, so why is there a post about youth? Isn't this whole thing about kids? I'm not learning anything new here.

Well, yes, sort of, not really. Bear with me...

This week's post is all about learning from your kids (cue the collective groans). No seriously. I love learning from kids. Back when I worked in a high school, I knew more about pop culture than I ever had before (remember, when I was a kid, I was a pretty big nerd). Kids have so much to teach us. Their perspectives are fresh, they have boundless energy - which I wish I could bottle - and learning more about what they are facing as kids will help you determine how to help them develop their cultural competence skills.

So how do you learn more about your child's world? Try these below or come up with your own. If you try something that works well with your kids, leave a comment below so we can all learn from each other:

• Ask Them! This should be your first line of defense. Or is it offense? Whatever. Bottom line - talk to your kids. About everything. Including diversity. Starting now. No seriously - now. Get up, ask your teenager to take out the headphones, and ask them questions.
• Talk To Their Friends: I'm not saying that you should go behind your kid's back and try to get all the gossip from their posse (this can be seen as a HUGE violation, which could really get in the way of my first point - see above). But when your child comes in with their friends, invite them to stay in the kitchen for awhile before scooting off to a bedroom (food helps), and just talk to them about their lives. If there are diversity issues and the crew is comfortable talking to you, it'll come up. They may even tell you something they wouldn't tell their parents. Or your child may share something with you that they ordinarily wouldn't because their friends think you're cool. I'm telling you - get in with the friends!
• Pay Attention To Pop Culture: What are the kids listening to? What are they watching? What lingo are they using? Pay attention to these things. It'll help you communicate with your kids because they won't have to translate everything for you - that gets tiresome. It will also help you determine when you need to intervene with your child or where to start a conversation.

So how will you learn from your kids? What will you ask them? If you've already talked with them about this, what have you learned? Post a comment below.

Next week is our last letter: Z! The end of the series is coming, but the blog posts continue! Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter so you get all of the tips, strategies, and information delivered right to your inbox. Enjoy and share!