How to Talk to Your Child About The Unknown with Sasha Sagan
Sasha Sagan has worked as a television producer, filmmaker, editor, writer and speaker in the United States and abroad.
Her essays and interviews on death, history and ritual through a secular lens have appeared on The Cut, The Oprah Magazine, Literary Hub, Mashable, Violet Book and beyond.
She regularly speaks on ways science can inform our celebrations and how we mark the passage of time, inspired in part by the work of her parents, Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan.
Sasha is the author of For Small Creatures Such As We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World which is an exercise in skepticism without cynicism, told through memoir and social history.
She lives in Boston with her husband and daughter.
The Unspoken Topic
- Around the world, we are all celebrating the same thing. They are all biological and astronomical events that are a part of being alive on earth.
What We Cover
- We take a look at traditions, how they are formed, why they are important and ways to celebrate them.
- Tips on marrying different beliefs around God and religion.
- How to navigate uncertainty and talk to your child about it.
Take a Listen >>
Key Takeaways
- When you look at most of the celebrations across cultures and religions, you can see they are so similar and based in science.
- The seasonal events that we have like holidays, especially around the longest days of the year are stories of when things were bad, and it looked like we weren’t going to make it and now things are looking good.
- We are not the center of the universe and when you get beyond that, we can have such a deep awe for the fact that we are living in this moment.
- The idea of admitting that we don’t know something is a big lesson. The goal is to not have all the answers, but rather to get as close to knowing as possible.
- Learning to tolerate ambiguity can take you far.
- It’s OK to tell your child, “I don’t know” or “I struggle with this too” or “I think this, other people think that, and everyone is searching for an answer” because it normalizes the search for knowledge.
- It’s also a great sign of respect for the child because you are being honest with the answer.
- The problem with science is that it’s become so dry and the magic of it is no longer presented.
Actionable Solution
How to Talk To Your Child About The Unknowns
- First, you need to practice accepting the uncertainty of something.
- Then when you speak to your child, start with, “this is the part I understand…..”
- Then follow up with, “I can’t tell you what it’s like to be that person….”
- “This is what I know about _________”
- It’s okay to let your child know you are struggling with something you are not understanding.
- And it’s also OK to teach your child with intellectual respect. They will catch up, even if they don’t get it right away.
How Do You Stay Connected To Your Spouse
- They sing the ABC’s every couple of weeks together. It’s a fun and silly way to remember their connection.
Mama Has a Minute
- Favorite Form of Self-Care: A book in bed during the day.
- Best Parenting Advice Ever Received: You think this is what motherhood is, but this is a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things.
- Favorite Parenting Hack: Let your child pick their clothes.
- Product Child Cannot Live Without: Magna Doodles.
- Share a Book and Why: The Same Moment Around the World. It’s a children’s book that unites everyone.
- What Motherhood Means to You: Motherhood is to honor thy children, we are here to lift them and support them.
Freebies From Us
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Action Steps For *You*
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