How To Talk About Social Class with Children

Social and economic inequality shows up in the subtle, daily rhythms of everyday life. Whether or not a family intends to do so, it is highly likely that the children of low-income people will be faced with glaring reminders of their social class at school and in social settings. All of this might occur before a child understands the meaning of social class or why it creates such harsh differences between them and their peers. Wealth, class, and inequality are difficult topics to introduce to children; however, it is worth addressing these matters in safe, constructive ways to equip children with the appropriate language and coping skills to help handle the many challenges that run parallel to inequality.?

How Children Understand Social Class

At a young age, children can appear too na?ve to be able to grapple with questions of inequality and social class. However, while young children may not register the complexity of wealth and class, they can start to identify differences in how people around them look, sound, and live at a very early age. Infants as young as six months old can register racial differences. Toddlers between the ages of two and three can comprehend different languages. Children demonstrate the skills needed to be persuasive with adults and other children between the ages of three and four. Differences in how a person speaks or what they are wearing are easily perceptible to young children. While these outward appearances may seem like just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to social inequality, young children will assimilate knowledge rapidly to indicate their tastes, seek approval from others, and decide which appearances they like and dislike. By age 12, many children’s biases become well-established, making their core preferences and values difficult to shake.

Age-Appropriate Ways To Talk About Inequality with Children

Children will take quick note of friends who have more money and friends who have less. Income inequality can feel awkward to discuss with children, especially in group or classroom settings, as it is likely to cause jealousy or embarrassment. There are no easy answers when it comes to inequality, and because the topic carries so much discomfort, parents are prone to avoiding it so that they don’t cause fear or show vulnerability in front of their children. Here are a few things educators, childcare professionals, and counselors can keep in mind when addressing issues of inequality with children:

• When working with babies and very young children, read children’s books that promote inclusion and celebrate every type of diversity. Give young children a window into many worlds, and represent different skin colors, body types, family situations, languages, and cultures when discussing people in the classroom.
• For toddlers and preschoolers, acknowledge differences verbally and honestly. Talk about where different people’s ancestors come from, what neighborhoods they live in, and their cultural practices. Emphasize that differences are a good thing and that there is beauty in the special details that make us all unique.
• When working with school-age children under eight, help coach them by building awareness about how social differences play out. If they have questions about something that is happening in the news, be ready to discuss it with them. When you see behavioral patterns that indicate bias in one child or in a group, be sure to name it and explain why you’re doing so.
• Children over eight are likely ready to start regularly discussing stereotypes, discrimination, and privilege. Remember, biases are likely to set in by the time a child is twelve – so the years between eight and twelve are critical to imparting a sense of pride, social responsibility, and compassion. Children at this stage might benefit from interacting with others whose backgrounds are different from their own. It can be valuable for them to volunteer for charitable causes (if appropriate), learn about historical figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., and understand why their parents spend so much time every day at work.

The best way for a child to acquire a well-rounded understanding of social class is to discuss it candidly with adults in a variety of contexts. At home, it is the parents’ responsibility to be involved in the conversation and field a child’s questions about wealth and class in real-time as they voice their curiosities. Educators and mental health practitioners should be forthright with the families they work with to facilitate a united conversation around social class that aims to uphold a child’s sense of hope, dignity, empathy, and positive outlook. Ultimately, understanding different neighborhoods, foods, ways of dressing, and speaking can be beneficial educational experiences that will continue to inform a child into their adolescence and beyond. For children from low-income backgrounds, conversations that openly explore economic class can help ease their worry and fear and act as a salve against bullying. Money and how it is earned, spent, and accumulated are mysterious to children. In the current landscape, there is more wealth inequality than ever before in American history. It has never been more important to inform the next generation about social inequality and chip away at the damaging stigmas attached to class status.