3 Ways to Show Pride for Your Child This Month
06.08.2022June is Pride Month, which often makes people think about bright, colorful parades and dancing in the streets. If that’s not really your cup of tea, don’t worry. There are many other ways to support your LGBTQ child.
Your LGBTQ child needs you to show love, to affirm them, to be proud of them this month and every month. For LGBTQ people, these actions are actually one of the most important factors of suicide prevention and overall well-being (1). At SFA this is at the very heart of our work Because June is such an important month for the LGBTQ community, this is the perfect time to show your child some extra love and attention.
Here are 3 ways you can show pride for your child this month:
Write them a letter that lists all the things you admire and love about them
Be as specific as possible! There’s something powerful about the hand-written word, especially these days when almost everything we read is on a screen. A heartfelt letter sends a powerful message of love and support for your child and it’s a keepsake that they can take out and read again when they’re going through something difficult.
Watch a documentary together about the history of Pride and LGBTQ rights
Understanding the history of Pride and of LGBTQ rights in the United States is important if you want to better understand your child’s experience. Luckily, there are some excellent documentaries out there you can stream online, some are even available for free on YouTube. Click here for the list from Time Magazine.
Have a Pride celebration at home
It’s okay if you’re not ready to celebrate Pride out in the world, what your child cares about most is having a safe space at home. So, have your own party this month. If you like to bake, make a rainbow cake. If you’re an artist, make a colorful Pride banner and hang it up in the house. Or just find a good mix on Spotify and have a little dance party in the living room. Depending on your moves that last one might embarrass your kid but they’ll still appreciate your effort. We recommend talking to your child about what they’d like to do and planning it together. It’s a great bonding experience and can be really fun.
We hope these suggestions are helpful and that you have a wonderful time this month celebrating your precious and lovely LGBTQ child. Whatever you do, no matter how simple, will mean so much to them. Happy Pride!
Sources
1 – The Trevor Project, 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/