I remember sitting in my car in the parking lot before my first prenatal appointment in January 2017, listening to Trump’s inauguration on the radio. I touched my belly and felt my eyes well up, taking a deep breath as I thought about the world they would be entering. Of course, this wasn’t the first time I had contemplated this. When discussing the idea of having children and the direction humanity was heading, his father asked me, “Don’t you feel responsible for the suffering of your future descendants?” (I do, and I also feel responsible for the well-being of future generations.) But in that moment, sitting in the parking lot and connecting with the little life growing inside me, the weight of it all felt real and visceral.
As we prepare for another Trump presidency, under which suffering in the world will undoubtedly increase, many of us are not only wondering how we can create change in our communities but also how we can raise our children to be engaged, informed, and compassionate citizens—especially when the demands of everyday life, like getting kids off to school on time or keeping up with bills, already feel overwhelming.
I don’t want to teach my son what to think, but I do want to teach them how to think critically, how to recognize the impacts of events around them, how to care about people and be curious about their experiences, how to ask questions, learn about the world, be compassionate and justice-minded, stand up for themself and others, and use their agency to make a difference in his world. Activism is often associated with protests, marches, and public demonstrations, but there’s a quieter, deeply personal yet profoundly powerful form of activism that begins at home: parenting. The values we nurture in our children—from gender equality to racial justice to critical thinking—can create a ripple effect that shapes a more just and compassionate world.
The ROCKS Framework
In Social Justice Parenting: How to Raise Compassionate, Anti-Racist, Justice-Minded Kids in an Unjust World, Dr. Traci Baxley introduces the ROCKS framework for Social Justice Parenting.
Reflection: Self-reflection is a practice that enhances our understanding of who we are—how we became who we are, why we do what we do, and what we believe. This process helps us recognize our biases, triggers, reactions, and values. It allows us to see clearly what we need to work on, giving us the intention and agency to make positive changes in our parenting and how we show up in the world, all while nurturing self-compassion. Find tools that work for you—whether it’s journaling, therapy, meditation, or having honest, authentic conversations with others.
Open Dialogue: Inviting open dialogue requires the courage to be vulnerable with our children and with ourselves. It means taking our children seriously and being open to their opinions, knowledge, and questions—often about difficult topics. This creates a safe space for children to ask questions, express their feelings, and better understand the complexities of the world around them. Having open, honest conversations with your children about issues such as race, privilege, gender, and injustice deepens their understanding of their own and other’s perspectives and experiences.
Compassion: Build compassion at home by valuing and prioritizing your children’s voices and feelings. Model and teach compassion for others. Compassion helps children connect with the struggles and pain of others, fostering a sense of solidarity and support for those who are marginalized or facing adversity.
Kindness: Kindness is compassion in action. It is a cornerstone of social justice because it encourages children to use their voices and actions to address injustice in small, everyday ways—cultivating agency and empowerment.
Social Justice Engagement: Model engagement with social justice issues and encourage your children to actively participate in their communities. This can include everything from participating in community events and protests to learning about different social movements and standing up for what’s right.
In addition to the ROCKS framework, integrate the following as ongoing practices in your parenting:
Teach Emotional Literacy
Help children become aware of themselves and others by teaching them to identify emotions and sensations, and to be curious about how their actions impact others. Build a vocabulary for feelings, model emotional openness, and let them know their emotions are always welcome. This fosters empathy and awareness, motivating them to act against harm to themselves and others.
Teach Media Literacy
In a world saturated with media, it’s essential to help children understand the impact of the information they consume and the messages being conveyed. When you read books or watch movies together, engage in dialogue—ask what they think, what different portrayals of race and gender mean to them, and how they interpret what they’re seeing and hearing. Teach them to explore multiple perspectives on an issue and evaluate the sources of information they encounter.
Teach Justice Through Daily Actions and Embrace Care as a Revolutionary Act
Care—whether for the environment, marginalized people, or one another—is a form of activism. By modeling self-care, community care, and environmental stewardship, we teach our children that caregiving is not a passive or secondary role but an essential part of creating societal change.
Make Learning and Connection an Ongoing Process
In addition to your own self-reflection practice, continue learning and connecting with other parents who are committed to raising justice-minded kids. Have regular gatherings, start a book club, or follow relevant social media resources. A few books that can support your journey of reflection, discussion, and practice are Social Justice Parenting: How to Raise Compassionate, Anti-Racist, Justice-Minded Kids in an Unjust World by Dr. Traci Baxley, How to Raise a Feminist Son: Motherhood, Masculinity, and the Making of My Family by Sonora Jha, and Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change by Angela Garbes.
When we parent with intention and awareness, we are doing more than raising children—we are nurturing future activists. By raising children who are aware of the world’s injustices, who embrace empathy and critical thinking, and who challenge unjust systems of power and privilege, we contribute to creating a more just and equitable world.
Parenting, in this sense, is not just a private, domestic act—it is a form of labor that, when done with purpose, can help create a better, kinder, and more just world for everyone. Through our daily actions, modeling, and teachings, we participate in a larger movement—one that begins at home but ripples out to affect the world.
If you want to explore living your values as a parent at a deeper level, I am currently taking new clients and I would be honored to support you on this journey.
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