4 Comments

• Felicia says:

  at 1:08 pm

  I don’t know if the first reason I’d mention would be “bad choices.” That puts the blame on the homeless. I don’t have the statistics off the top of my head, but a large amount of homeless have psychiatric problems like schizophrenia, and they just fell through the cracks of society because they had no one advocating for them. Yes, addiction causes a lot of homelessness, but so do extenuating circumstances – tragedies, health issues, mental health – they had no control over. Many of us these days are a few paychecks away from homelessness. Compassion and empathy should come before judgement.

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  • Andy says:

    at 4:36 pm

    I don’t think adding explaining mental illness to my 6yo would have been a good call in that moment, personally. I did say that bad things happen in life and not just “bad choices.” Also, I wouldn’t want him to judge all or most homeless people as mentally ill. To each his own, though.

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• Nolan says:

  at 6:22 pm

  I actually applaud your answer in the initial statement. It actually covers everything in the choices we make. Definitley due to some kind of hardship. Not really sure if one answer can cover it like you did as you talked to your six year old. Good job.

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• Nicky says:

  at 10:14 pm

  With most of these questions I find it best to ask back: “What do you think?”

  The kids usually have great theories (sometimes even hilarious) and you can see where they are standing. Than you can either go with their answer and be sure they will get closer and closer to the truth when they age, of you can add a little bit of information to their theorie and widen their horizon.
  Plus you teach them to think for themselves instead of just consuming answers.

  BTW – best hint that they didn’t really wanted an answer, but just wanted to talk is that they “get bored with the explanation. If they really want an alswer, they listen.
  😉

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