Is Forcing Your Kids to Learn About History A Good Thing?

 

I spent my middle and high school years in Northern Virginia (around the Beltway as they say) just 20 minutes from Washington, D.C. Just a historical note, back in the eighties, it did only take 20 minutes to get to Washington, now that same commute takes an hour and a half but  I digress.

Washington, D.C. is one big history lesson so I thought it was time that my daughter actually see some monuments (attending President Obama’s 2009 inauguration doesn’t count since she was only five) and get a dose of history.

As someone who has fond memories of the Smithsonian museums, one of my favorite museums is the American History Museum.You can see the original Star Spangled Banner flag, Pop Culture History ( Judy Garland’s red slippers from the Wizard of the Oz), The First Ladies inaugural dresses and so much more.

While we were on the third floor, we happened upon the lunch counter from the Greensboro Woolworth store that is one of key moments during the 1960s Civil right movement. Just a reminder just in case you forgot, this key moment in history.  Four African American college students sat down at a lunch counter at Woolworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina and asked for coffee. As it was the store’s policy to serve “whites only”, they were refused service. The students in turn refused to leave staying until the store closed. Over the course of the next few days, more and more students joined the sit-ins at the Greensboro Woolworth eventually sit ins spread throughout the state.  Months later on July 25, 1960,  Woolworth desegregated serving both whites and blacks at their counters.

Thinking this is a key moment in history, I made my daughter stop and tried to explain the significance of the incident.

I could tell she was so disinterested in the story.

“You read it by yourself” I told my daughter frustrated and walked away. I could tell she was just standing there staring at the sign.

“Do you read it, so what is the significance of the lunch counter? ”

Dead silence.

“That’s fine, don’t read it then” I countered and started walking toward the Gabby Douglas exhibit (yes, there is now a Gabby Douglas exhibit.)

I was really angry telling here what an important moment in history it was and how she should appreciate all the things she is able to do that African -Americans weren’t able to do just few decades ago.

Before you know it, she had walked back to the sign and actually read it. Don’t you love making your kids feel guilty.

Afterwards, we had a really good conversation about that time period the civil rights movement.  Don’t be too gleeful,  when I say a good conversation, it lasted a few minutes or as long as it took to go up the escalator but long enough in my opinion given the weightiness of the topic.

How does your child react when you try to teach them about history? Any tips from teachers out there.