Why you should talk to your kids About poverty

Poverty is a complex issue that can stem from a variety of reasons that are
too difficult for young children to understand. But even though issues
surrounding hunger and homelessness are complicated, it’s important to talk
to kids about poverty.

If you are a parent who doesn’t often worry about putting food on the table
or having a warm place for your child to go to sleep, wrapping your arms
around this conversation may be quite difficult.

But without a clear explanation, kids may not understand why some kids get
free lunch at school or why there’s a homeless person asking for money. And
they may make inaccurate assumptions about people living below the
poverty line.

Why You Should Talk About Poverty

At some point, your child will notice that some people don’t have as much
money as others, and he’s likely to have some questions about it.

It’s estimated that one in five children in the United States lives in poverty.
Many of those children have working parents, but low wages and unstable
work leave them living below the poverty line.

There’s a good chance some of your child’s classmates struggle with issues
like food insecurity and homelessness.

You might be tempted to say to your child, “Eat your broccoli. There are
starving children in other parts of the world who would love to eat that."
But talking about people who live on another continent may be too far
removed from your child's world for him to grasp. There are plenty of people
struggling with poverty much closer to home. Talking about real-life
situations in your community may help him gain a better understanding of
what poverty is.

Children living in poverty may experience lifelong consequences. Poverty

affects families in the following ways:

 Educational problems – Children living in poverty have more trouble

learning and they are less likely to further their education.
  Behavioral problems – Poverty affects a child’s social and emotional
development. Children growing up in poverty are more likely to
exhibit behavioral problems.
 Physical health problems – Child poverty is linked to higher rates of
asthma, obesity, language development problems, and an increased
risk of injury.
 Mental health problems – The toxic stress associated with poverty
increases the risk of several psychiatric disorders.
 Reduced overall well-being – Studies show poverty is the biggest
threat to children’s well-being and it can have lifelong consequences.

Holding conversations about poverty can be an opportunity to educate your

child as well as a time to foster compassion for others. When your child
understands a little more about why some people live differently, he may
have more empathy for people who experience poverty.

Look for Opportunities to Address the

Subject
Rather than bring up the subject of poverty out of the blue, look for
opportunities to bring it up naturally. Then, you can talk about it more
concretely.

When there’s a Thanksgiving food drive at school, talk to your child about
why you’re donating canned goods. Or, when there’s a gift drive over the
holidays, explain that some families may not have enough money to buy
presents.

Be Prepared for Tough Questions

At some point, your child will notice that his peers or people in the
community are living in poverty. Be prepared for questions such as:

 Why does Anna wear the same dress to school every day?
 How come that woman is asking people for money?
 Why isn’t that man wearing any shoes?
 Why does Zack say he gets free lunch at school?

When your child asks questions, it’s a sign he’s ready for more information.
It's important to give him age appropriate answers.
Give Simple Explanations to Elementary
School Children
Kids don’t understand money or economics. A commercial about child
hunger may spur innocent questions like, “Why don’t their parents go to the
grocery store and buy them more food?”

Between the ages of 5 and 8, kids are ready to learn simple explanations
about poverty. Try saying something like, “Some people aren’t able to earn
enough money to buy food or a home to live in.”

At this age, you don’t need to give lengthy explanations about the factors
that may prevent someone from earning a livable wage. Conversations
about disabilities, substance abuse, and a poor economy can wait until the
tween or teen years.

Talk to Tweens and Teens About the

Underlying Causes
Tweens and teens have the ability to begin understanding some of the
reasons why poverty exists. Talk about the factors that contribute to
poverty, such as:

 The income gap between rich and poor people

 Lack of jobs that pay adequate wages
 Lack of education
 High costs of healthcare and childcare
 Substance abuse and mental illness
 Disabilities
 Divorce
 Generational poverty

In addition to talking about the causes of poverty, discuss the effects.

Provide a simple explanation of the government services and the resources
put into place to help people, but also talk about how difficult it can be for
people to get out of poverty.

Pay Attention to the Messages You Send

The things you do, as well as the things you don’t do, will send your child
messages about people living in poverty. For example, if you walk past a
panhandler without making eye contact, your child may assume homeless
people are beneath you, so it’s important to explain why you don’t give
strangers on the street cash.

Say something like, “I don’t give people money because sometimes I prefer
to buy them food.” Or, explain that you donate money to programs that help
homeless people have food to eat and shelter to stay in.

It’s also important to avoid sending a message that implies hard work
always prevents poverty. If you say things like, “I work hard so we can live
in a nice house,” your child may conclude people living in poverty must be
lazy.

Get Your Child Involved in Helping

Donating cash to a charity may not teach your child much about helping
others. But, involving him first-hand in helping people in need could help
him gain a better understanding of how he can address poverty.

Get your child involved in donating some of his toys or unused clothing to
others. Ask him to choose which items to give and talk about how it can help
other children whose parents may not be able to buy toys or clothing. Bring
your child with you to the store to buy food for a food drive. Ask him to pick
out canned or dry goods that you could give to families who may not be able
to afford food.

When children see that they can take steps to make a difference, they may
feel inspired to perform more acts of kindness in the future.

Discuss the Safeguards You Have in Place

Talking about poverty may cause your child to become a little anxious. He
may worry that you will run out of food or that you might be homeless
someday. So it’s important to talk about any safeguards you might have in
place.

If you have a friend or relative who might help you if you were down on your
luck, say something like, “We could always live with Grandma if we didn’t
have our own home." Or explain that there are government programs in
place that help people who can't afford food.
Of course, as an adult, you know that even the best safeguards are not
foolproof. You may never have to confront a turn in luck that leaves your
family in great need, but we all face that possibility.

The best thing you can do for your kids is assure them that you’re always
there to love and protect them.

Remind them that regardless of where your circumstances take you as a

family, you'll figure out how to endure and make it through.
Sharing anything beyond that, especially with young children, may be too
much for them to handle