Hey everybody,
Here comes some rambling bullshit!
TLDR; what do we do as leftist to be intentional in raising our kids in line with our values?
Something I’ve struggled with as a dad is what it means to be a parent and a leftist. There are clear parenting “tracks” for other systems of beliefs (raising a Christian/Jewish/Muslim kid; arguably ones for raising a conservative - though I’m not sure in the American context how separate that is from raising a religious kid, raising an upper-class kid definitely has its own track, etc), but I don’t know of any that are specific to the left.
I’ve started reading HumanKind (this probably means I’m a lib), which got me thinking that what my political beliefs are based in probably boils down to a sort of hope for and belief in others. If we assume that other people are, like ourselves, generally good with some flaws, it follows that others deserve to have the same sorts of basic protections and rights that we want for ourselves.
This runs counter to the cynicism that HumanKind got me thinking about and (in my humble and uninformed opinion) runs rampant because those at the top of hierarchies need it to maintain control and justify their own cruelties.
But, without that hope for and belief in others, what are our politics grounded in?
The other element of this is probably direct action. It’s nice to “want good things” for other people, but there’s also the element of going out and fucking fighting for them. Some of this is, again, tied to the belief that people know what’s best for them and should be empowered to go out and get it, rather than having a technocrat come up for a means-tested solution for them (:volcel-kamala:). But, advocating for yourself as part of fighting for the common good, that seems like part of it, too.
This goes to questioning assumptions, being raised so you’re empowered to speak up, ask questions, call out bullshit. That’s probably its own thread.
Again to prove my lib credentials: Bernie’s 2020 slogan still resonates with me: “Fight for someone you don’t know.” I think that’s the right way, and it’s based in an recognition of and appreciation for our shared needs.
So anyway, what do you do to be a leftist parent?
EDIT: the scribbled down note that inspired this was:
“Left” parenting is grounded in HOPE and OPTIMISM that are based on evidence that we naturally care for each other.
I’d add to that that we don’t fucking NEED to excuse our compassion and curiosity and optimism away. As our kids show us, it’s our natural state!
OT: Since having kids, seeing unhomed people has become that much more heartbreaking; each person sleeping in a doorway or screaming at a tree was once a perfect, loving, open baby, just like mine or yours. A phrase Cornell West uses resonates with me more and more: “precious lives”. His worldview is rooted in a religious faith I don’t share, but I appreciate the revolutionary potential and the deep compassion behind that phrase. During covid I thought about it a lot. Yeah, there was something schadenfreude-y about seeing the chuds die of COVID but at the same time, those lives are not any less precious even though they may have been acting selfishly and thoughtlessly.
Any book or story recommendations about stopping when asked to do so by an adult or friend? Our 6yo tends to get really focused on things and not stop…but it’s also slipped into “cleverly” ignoring requests. It’s getting to be an issue at home and school and I’d like to work on it with him in a way that isn’t overly top down (“BECAUSE I SAID SO DAMNIT”)
He loves reading and to be read to, so stories that include this could be a big help if anyone has a suggestion.