It Is Necessary To Challenge A Family Member Using Bigoted Language Around Your Kids

There are so many decisions that face new and expecting parents as they consider the kind of life they will be providing for their children. Among those decisions is dealing with your family members and how they will interact with and bond with your child. Sometimes, family members have traits that do not bother you as a grown adult but might not be appropriate in the presence of a child. At that point, you have some decisions to make if this person is going to figure into your life as a family with young kids. Some of these situations could end up being a deal-breaker as far as letting this person spend time with your child. One of them should definitely be if this person uses racist or homophobic language. This is when parents must decide- would they challenge a family member using bigoted language around their child?

A Reddit thread on this topic yielded some interesting responses. I am disturbed at the number of people in 2014 that still feel the need to spout racist or homophobic language at all let alone in the presence of a child but clearly, this is still very much an issue in our society. Check out some of the responses to the question “Do you challenge your parents when they say bigoted or “iffy” things in front of your kids?”

Ugh. I am fortunate that no one in my family uses language like this but I would be very quick to intervene if they did. I think when picking your battles, the N-word is one you would want to fight so you aren’t getting a fun call from the kindergarten teacher about the new word your kid taught the class (and because it’s wrong, obviously). We did have an issue with a member of my husband’s family constantly saying how everything made in China was awful and it definitely had a tinge of racism to it so my husband put a quick stop to it.

This is great and reinforces that parents should not be afraid to call out this kind of thing with their child in earshot. I can totally see where this poster would feel better hearing their father stand up for what’s right.

I love everything about this. Sometimes, the best way to confront a bigot is by being this blatant.

As far as my own family situation, my parents are great. They don’t use language like that anyway but if they felt the need to, I know they would not do it in front of our kids. I do have some elderly relatives that use language that is not wholly appropriate but I guess it is simply a result of the era they grew up in- not that it makes it right. I do remember as a child my mother stopping a family member from using the term “colored” to refer to a black person and over time, that family member stopped saying it. None of us should be afraid to speak up and to that end, we could be raising the first generation to be raised predominately in an environment where this language doesn’t exist. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

(Image: Elina-Lava/Shutterstock)