It s often said that hate starts at home. But many kids these days are getting plenty of reinforcement out in the world. It makes it all the more important that parents not only avoid teaching hate in the first place, but do some things to balance the outside messages kids are getting.
Hate is an ugly emotion and it s everywhere on the internet, in front yards, at day care centers.
No one seems immune. Kids can find themselves victims because of race, religion, sexual preference, or just bad timing. How do parents prepare kids to be hated, Dr. Stephen Thomas, a psychologist, says the most important thing parents can do is listen to kids and help them to understand that anger and pain are part of life. That kind of communication is crucial because victims get angry, and when kids cannot identify and deal with those kinds of emotions, they are more likely to become hateful themselves. According to Stephen Wall, director of the Bio Research Institute in Cotati, California, the physical responses of people experiencing anger often occur in those who feel hate due to the similarity between the two emotions.