How to Support a Climate Change Protester
A year ago, schoolchildren across the country staged mass strikes and protests to pressure their representatives to support effective weapons legislation .
Now this generation, which is becoming known for its social and political activism, is again planning a massive nationwide protest, this time over climate change.
More than 400 protests are planned for Friday in all 50 states , in which about 100,000 students are expected to take part. If you are the parent of one of these protesters, you may be wondering what your role should be.
Start a dialogue
If your child has heard about school protests or climate change in general, he will probably have questions. If you’re wondering how and when to start talking to your kids about climate change, now is the perfect time to have this conversation.
Ask them if they have heard about climate change or what they know about it. Answer any questions they have about the issue itself or about upcoming protests. Tell them that this is something that will directly affect their generation, but even if they are still children, their voices carry weight and those in the office are paying attention.
Help them get information
Children may wonder about the consequences of participating in a protest, such as whether they will have problems with you, whether they will be punished at school, or whether it will negatively affect their continued performance in school and college.
You can tell them that while you would never support their admission to school for most reasons, you support their right to appeal the issue and they will not have “problems” with you.
You can also share this information with them, which details their rights, as well as some safety tips for protests.
Give your support
Finally, and perhaps more importantly, encourage them. Tell them that you are proud that they are using their voice and their actions to bring about positive change. Buy them some signage supplies and ask what else you can do to help.