A Helpful, Hopeful Guide to Talking to Kids About Welcoming Refugees

Jennifer Jackson and Miry Whitehill: “When it comes to kid-appropriate language for tackling difficult topics, PBS is a consistently great resource. Their guide to talking to young kids about the crisis in Ukraine is a helpful way to bring them into what’s happening in the news.”

JJ & MW: “Similarly, this guide from Parents helps frame conversation with kids about the refugee crisis in Afghanistan and around the world. We appreciate that they separate out the tips for parents of little kids, tweens, and teens.”

JJ & MW: “When discussing the concept of warm welcomes with young kids, it’s easy to get literal, and what’s more emblematic of that spirit than a welcome blanket? This non-profit provides refugee families with handmade blankets and sweet welcome notes from their creators. Which yes, can include you and your kids! They’ve got great tutorials for making your own quilt to donate.”

JJ & MW: “It warms our hearts that Sesame Street would tackle the topic of helping families process the trauma of resettling. Not only is this an excellent resource to share with newcomers in your community, but it can help others understand what a refugee who experienced trauma might be going through. Plus, who doesn’t love a video on how to give yourself a hug?”

JJ & MW: “Our book joins so many other wonderful children’s stories that explore the world of refugees and people seeking asylum. This site has a great list if you’re looking to build out your library—or even better, want to purchase copies for your local school.”

JJ & MW: “Here’s some all-family screentime: A short, beautiful documentary from National Geographic that follows Zain (a refugee from Pakistan) as he learns and performs a dance that ultimately helps him begin to feel more at home.”

JJ & MW: “This video is geared towards adults—and perhaps older teens—but provides a great primer on what refugees go through on their journey to finding a new home. We recommend watching this and sharing your takeaways with kids to help them understand where new arrivals are coming from.”

JJ & MW: “Imagine you’ve just landed in a new and unfamiliar place and on top of trying to learn a new language and figure out where your nearest grocery store is, you’re also in need of things like washcloths…or a unicorn bike helmet. The impetus for our book came from Miry’s work with Miry’s List, the non-profit she founded to help support families resettling in the United States. This link has plenty of ‘what’s next’ ideas for curious readers, including a guide to writing a welcome letter for new arrivals, and a chance to buy a housewarming gift for new arrivals.”

JJ & MW: “Spread hummus, not hate! Making and sharing food is a wonderful way to connect with new arrival families. Here’s a recipe for the best hummus you’ve ever tasted, courtesy of Abeer, a Syrian chef who resettled here in the US a few years ago.”

JJ & MW: “The writer of this piece is talking about giving money, but the ideas in here can so easily be applied to how we give our time and our energy, how we share space and offer support. At Miry’s List, we know a family is thriving when they begin to ask about volunteer opportunities for welcoming other newcomers.”