My 5-year-old is a sponge. And a detective. And, very often, I'm convinced, a creative genius. And she asks A LOT of questions. This morning between wake up at 6:00 and drop-off at 7:30, we covered such topics as plant upkeep, ocean health, oil pipelines, and, for the first time, human trafficking.
Up until now, our daughter has known in vague terms what we do (we've discussed poverty and child protection, among other things) but this morning I tried to explain, in simple, 5-year-old terms, what human trafficking is. And probably butchered it. (Although I am now convinced that all researchers should have to explain their work to 5-year-olds to better understand their own research!)
Her first question after my short explanation was, "Do the people who get trafficked want to go?" OOF. Way to sucker punch, darling girl! But it did make me think of Lesson #9 from my 10K for 10 years post:
Keeping up with all the curiosity is at times invigorating and exhausting! Photo cred: Tiffany Tsang |
Her first question after my short explanation was, "Do the people who get trafficked want to go?" OOF. Way to sucker punch, darling girl! But it did make me think of Lesson #9 from my 10K for 10 years post:
Trafficking and exploitation are a spectrum, with choice
and coercion playing varying and nuances roles
So how does one explain something so nuanced to children, who depend on black and white in their lives? There were so many possible things I could have said, and I opted for this: "Sometimes people think they're getting an opportunity to earn money and help their family, but when they get there, they've been tricked and are not paid and not allowed to go home or see their family."
It's just the beginning of a conversation, one that will continue in many forms and over a long time. So I turn to you - how would you explain trafficking to a 5-year-old?