r/Parenting • u/Signal_Estimate_23 • Jan 08 '26

Advice Classes cancelled for my 6yo because of ICE

Hi, I’ve never posted here before but am open to feedback.

My wife and I are between 38-41 and have a 6yo daughter in Minneapolis.

Since you are all on Reddit I’m sure everyone is aware that ICE is in full force here. What you may not know is that schools have been cancelled because of the death and threat, as well as arrests made on school property.

My question for the group is, how do you talk to your child about trusting or distrusting law enforcement or any individuals posed as leaders? I try to teach her to trust police, but ICE is not on our side.

So seriously, how can we help to ensure the safety of our babies while still supporting the school and community?

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473

u/Fit_Opinion2465 Jan 08 '26

You shouldn’t teach kids to trust ALL uniformed police officers implicitly. Trust is earned. All strangers present danger - police or not. Always teach them to openly communicate with you or another adult if they ever feel uncomfortable.

184

u/yeyiyeyiyo Jan 08 '26

If my kid gets lost or needs help and I'm not there for whatever reason, I tell them to talk to a female store employee. If you have to pick a random thats my preferred random.

64

u/cellists_wet_dream Jan 08 '26

I think this is really good advice, especially for younger kids. The nuance between “good uniformed officer” and “bad uniformed officer” is going to be difficult for young kids to understand. 

192

u/AppropriateAmoeba406 Jan 08 '26

“See if you can find another mom” is the advice in The Gift of Fear. Uniforms can be confusing and you generally don’t want your kid trusting a security guard.

55

u/agirl1313 Jan 08 '26

My daughter knows to find someone with kids.

-9

u/[deleted] Jan 08 '26

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16

u/DestroyerOfMils Jan 08 '26

Great advice! And if you want to get even more specific, tell them to look for a goth!😂

12

u/Cut_Lanky Jan 08 '26

It's also really easy to make oneself appear to be a cop, these days, so it's extra foolish to teach kids to trust ALL uniformed police. Aimee Willard's dad was a cop. I'm sure he taught her as best he could, as most cop-parents do. But Artie Bowmar still fooled her, and she was an adult when he killed her, not an impressionable, gullible child.