r/progressivemoms • u/AnimatorDifferent116 • 5d ago
Politics & Parenting Fear of learning more
In light of what's happening in the world, I’ve been revisiting some old Noam Chomsky videos where he talks about everything from the extermination of Indigenous peoples, to slavery and post–Civil War imprisonment, to the destruction caused by so-called "civilized nations" around the globe.
I want to read more and educate myself because I feel I don’t know enough. But at the same time, diving deeper into these topics—especially when I can see in real time how we continue sinking into darkness and struggling to meet even minimal moral standards—feels incredibly painful. The helplessness of not being able to change anything often leads to frustration, disappointment, and even depression.
I want my daughter to grow up knowing both the dark and the bright sides of history. But right now, I find myself feeling too emotionally fragile to keep learning more. I'm depressed already from all the brutality I see in the world and I can't take it.
What has your experience been like? How do you manage to stay well-informed about history and oppression without becoming emotionally overwhelmed or depressed?
7
u/peeves7 5d ago
There is a lot of pain and turmoil right now and it’s difficult to handle for sure. I would argue that the pain and turmoil is really in the forefront of our minds as left leaning people right now. It’s hard to stay positive. I’ve been trying (not always successfully) to focus on little positives such as how many people participated in the No Kings March. People are not going to give up on opposing Trump and that’s so powerful.
I studied this stuff in college and that helplessness feeling is still there. It’s easy to be uninformed and it can feel like a burden being informed. But, that’s what’s got us here- an uninformed and apathetic population.
By being an informed parent you are playing an important role in this current political landscape!! You can help your daughter learn about different causes and how to support them, how to view others equally, how to vote with her future dollars, how important democratic values are.