Children are like sponges, soaking up everything they hear and see, and their developing minds can be easily influenced by the words and actions of the adults around them. It is important for parents and elders in families to be careful about what they say around young children. For the most part, it is best for parents and elders to be honest with children, but to also consider the child’s age and maturity level when determining how much information to share. For younger children, it may be appropriate to shield them from harsh realities and to focus on the positive aspects of a situation. For older children, however, it may be important to be more forthcoming and to help them understand and cope with difficult situations. It should also be noted that parents and elders being more mindful of their own language and behavior around children creates a healthier in general. Children learn by example, so it is crucial for adults to set a good example by speaking and acting in a way that is respectful and kind. Like most things in life, the key is to strike a balance between honesty and protection, and to tailor one’s words and actions to the child’s age and needs. It is also important for parents and elders to remain open and approachable, so that children feel comfortable coming to them with questions and concerns. Generally speaking an approach that leads to children becoming much more reasonable and level headed as they approach their teenage years and young adult life.

Writing can still be a powerful means of activism for BIPOC in present day America. Through the written word, BIPOC can share their experiences, raise awareness about issues affecting their communities, and call for change. Writing can also be a way for BIPOC to reclaim their narrative and counter the dominant, often distorted, narrative about them that is often perpetuated in mainstream media. Social media can also amplify outreach quickly and efficiently . BIPOC writers can use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to share their thoughts and ideas, and to engage with others who are interested in similar issues. They can also use these platforms to connect with like-minded individuals and organizations and to mobilize support for causes they care about. Writing can be a powerful tool for BIPOC to raise awareness, challenge dominant narratives, and call for change. Its an outlet to the purest form of human communication when a greater call for said issue is needed in the most transparent and human way possible

In my opinion, parents should have a balance. They should be as truthful as possible while taking the feelings of their children into consideration. There are few circumstances where withholding parts of the truth may be justifiable but, if parents respect their children and their intelligence they should be able to be truthful within reason. For example, rather than telling a child their toy disappeared, another approach can be tested, such as explaining to them that their play time is up and they will have another opportunity to play at a later time. This method is not always sound of course, but as long as there is an attempt, a healthy relationship should be able to foster without deception. Nobody is perfect but doing something one out of ten times is better than not doing it at all. Making an attempt at being truthful is better than going straight to deception and not trying to be truthful at all. 

Parents and elders should be conscious of how they speak around young children, this could be being careful or it could just be acknowledging that they might hear what is said. Children internalize so many things, and they are just beginning to understand languages and how people communicate with each other, it is hard for them to always differentiate between what is appropriate for their age, what is appropriate in certain situations or with certain people, what is a joke, what is sarcasm, and what is the truth. So, while many conversations can be learning experiences or a way to spend time with family, sometimes censoring or an explanation would be beneficial. 

I feel that adults should try to tell the truth when possible, but the truth does not always have to be brutal; When considering feelings and respect is a part, the truth is often easier to accept. Nice things should be told to children when it is true or if a situation requires it, sugar coating is not necessary if you approach a conversation with respect for the other person, even if they are a child. Adults should mean what they say until children are able to comprehend the other aspects of language. The instability of life can be taught other ways that do not involve risking the credibility of their words. If adults teach kids how little words can mean, kids often say reckless things, this should only be taught when the kids also understand the weight words can have. Adults should avoid “just teasin” kids if they have no intention of explaining to them that they are in fact just teasing, or if the kids are unable to come to that conclusion on their own. If the child is aware they are not to take something serious, or if they can decipher whether something is a joke or not on their own, “just teasin” is fine because there would not be any consequences. Children will not feel hurt, confused, or deceived and adults will not lose the children’s trust or the credibility of their word. It is not an easy thing to keep in mind or execute, but when there is an attempt, all of these things are possible with children even if it is only some of the time.

In my opinion, writing can still be a viable means of activism for BIPOC in the present-day United States. Activism, no matter what form, is still viable because it further broadcasts the voices of the oppressed. Almost any way that spreads awareness is viable to activism because attention is needed. The larger number of people reached, the more action that can be taken, and more support can be offered. In the age of social media, marches, and news reports, formal writing is still necessary to reach those that are removed from today’s age; those that prefer to read and form their own opinions. People still look for writers for empowerment, especially if they’re somewhat famous or have a fan base, so they can spread awareness through their pieces. Many people have been moved by pieces written by authors which lead them to be a part of a movement or support one. 

Writing is still a reasonable form of activism even in present-day America because writing is in everything. It’s needed for the articles that inform others and are posted on the web and social media accounts, it’s in the instagram posts that calls on people to take action, it’s used for the speeches given at thousands of marches, and it’s in the scripts for the news anchors that deliver to millions of  people. Writing invokes thoughts, feelings, and inspiration, all things essential for movements and activism as a whole. Writing is an eternal means of liberation because writing in itself is eternal, writing is how we communicate, share information, connect, explain, teach, and more. As long as activism is necessary, writing will be necessary as well.

What happens in the family greatly affects the mental and psychological health and development of children. Life does not pass without problems. Naturally, there are problems in this life, and the child must know them, and they must participate in them and responds well when the parents explain the cause of the problem and resolve their disagreement, and from here the child acquires the skill of solving it. There is no need to be too vague, but parents should be careful not to say bad words or use violence because they are a source of safety and a good example. Parents should also not speak negatively about each other so as not to sow fear and anxiety in the heart of the child because he will grow up with him and may live in a bad psychological state that affects him negatively. for consecutive years and may continue with him for life.

Through the story that I read, which is gorilla my love, I expect that the author uses activities in the story, but activism other than the activism used in our time and our current society. Regardless of the change in our current society, in my opinion, I expect that writing is still effective, but not as it was before. I expect that people will not pay attention to it as much as it was in the old days, because of the developments in our society today. These days, our society focuses on the picture shown, such as demonstrations and things that happen before the eyes, as well as communication. Social, which is the thing that people have developed and used to find everything, and it is an easy and fast way, because at the present time, most people are in a hurry and do not have time to read a lot, so of course they will collect information from social communication without the need to read a lot.

Any figure that can negatively or positively affect a child’s outlook on life should choose their words wisely when addressing them. A child doesn’t need a dumbed down version of the truth or to be treated naively. Addressing any topic with a good explanation is the personal responsibility of any adult to a child. It’s evident that in the story “Gorilla, My Love” Hunca Bubba wasn’t just a name to Hazel, it was an entire personality. To know that her uncle’s real name is entirely different is like pulling the disguise off someone. Hazel’s entire dynamic has shifted with her Uncle. Had the adults kept this act up around Hazel perhaps they could have gifted her with ignorance but at least she wouldn’t have had such a misunderstanding when finding out her uncles’ real name. Another great example is when she is lied to about which movie they are going to end up watching. She expected to see Gorilla, My Love but they ended up showing a religious film named King of Kings. In this sort of example the children in the theater are naturally upset because they were lied to. If the adults could explain why they were showing the film instead of just trying to pull a wool over their heads perhaps the children wouldn’t cause a fuss and come to terms with the truth rather than a lie. This brings me back to my childhood when my parents would always say one thing and end up doing another. I remember vividly asking my parents “But why?” and they would always reply with “Because I said so.” It was extremely frustrating having no real honest answer and constantly filling the blanks in my own head. In “Gorilla, My Love” Hazel stood her ground and fought back lighting the candy stand on fire after the manager refused to give back a refund. These stories are a strong reminder that keeping the youth in blissful ignorance is a disservice to them and society. They are kept in the dark for so long that they eventually grow old and learn the truth and are exposed to an identity crisis that everything they know is a lie. The Youth deserve the truth.

I think writing can still be a viable means of activism but it won’t be the most used because of today’s advancement in technology such as social media. We live in a very fast paced society where we can gather information quickly without having to read as much. We also live in a time where most people are in a rush with little freetime. With activism, the goal is to reach as many people as possible, so an activist knows that a one minute video clip or news report is going to attract people more than a writing piece will. Marches can also be more effective because it grabs a lot of attention and sends a strong message. An example is the impact of the George Floyd protest and how the protests really helped bring justice to him being how massive those marches were. Marches also draw more fear to leaders because those leaders see the amount of people fighting for their rights and threaten their power. I think writing is a cherishable element of activism and liberation but wont grab an audience in today’s society the way other new outlets will.

I believe honesty and transparency with one’s children is most important when communicating with them.This is a very difficult thing to navigate especially with younger children, however I believe it is important to only be honest about concepts and ideas when the child is old enough to understand and process them healthily. Life can be incredibly difficult to deal with and digest and it is a parents responsibility to prepare their child for it as much as they can. This is heavily impacted by the words parents choose to use and the things they choose to say or not say. Hiding your children from difficult concepts or hardships is detrimental to the development of their character, and their ability to handle these things on their own. As previously stated, it is important to slowly introduce children to difficult ideas and situations when they are old enough to handle it properly, however completely hiding them from difficult things only furthers their dependance on you and others.