VIDEOSBridging Differences for Teens and Parents

Scroll down for a transcription of this video. 

While humans have a tendency to split the world into “us” and “them,” such differences don’t need to divide people. Instead, we can work to bridge differences—to see others for their full humanity and to possibly cultivate friendships with people who are different. In this video series we invited five families from a range of backgrounds and life journeys to begin to learn skills to bridge differences.

Learn more about supporting your teen as they practice skills to bridge differences at our library of research-based practices.

This is the first video in our "Parenting to Nurture Skills to Bridge Differences" series.

Facilitator | Dhaarmika Coelho, Founder of Camp Kindness Counts
Production Company | Anaconda Street Productions
Partners on the Bridging Differences Parenting Practices | Generation Citizen and Making Caring Common

Transcription

DHAARMIKA: We invited five families from a range of backgrounds and life journeys to begin to learn skills to bridge differences. Hi, everyone. We have a quite diverse group over here. We have different religions in this room. We've lived in different countries in this room. We are going to be learning a lot of things today from each other, with each other, about how to bridge differences with our teenagers and members of our community that may have different lives from ourselves.

But before we get started, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Dhaarmika Coelho, and I'm the founder of Camp Kindness Counts. Kindness counts as a non-profit organization, and we focus on building a kinder world through character development and through service and mindfulness. I started with the thought of maybe you can nurture a culture of kindness by actually practicing it.

We started off with 15 kids in our cars, driving around the town, and volunteering, and reflecting on how we feel when we volunteer. And now we're partnering with UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center on the bridging differences program. So I'd like to ask you to write down what is bridging differences to you.

SONALI: To me, bridging differences is like making connections with people and trying to learn about them.

NINA: Listening to other people's opinions and trying to see things from their point of view.

TYMOFIY: When you care about someone, connect with them.

OLENA: Understanding that everyone is unique and accepting it.

DHAARMIKA: Go ahead and put your thoughts on here. This is what bridging differences is.

LUNA: To me, bridging differences is what brings us together.

MATT: Just connecting to one another, realizing that we are different and accepting those differences.

LEE: Being able to approach conversations with people from all different walks of life.

NOAH: Being able to do that without overthinking it.

LEGI: Entender, tener empatía por la otra persona e inclusive respeto mucho.

SAMUEL: Por ejemplo, sales con unos amigos. Te encuentra a no conoces, lo invitas y eso es como superar una diferencia.

DHAARMIKA: So many ways to bridge differences. Anyone ready here? OK, OK. So bridging differences is respecting people, finding things that you have in common, but also being open to learning, is humility, and is practicing compassion, and sharing love.

My next question is, where do you feel like we can use the character strengths that we talked about right now, like respect, and compassion, and empathy.

TYMOFIY: I would say at school, because I hear a lot of racist stuff, a lot of immaturity.

LEGI: Yo pienso que e empieza por casa, en el hogar. O sea, tendremos una mejor visión cada uno empezando por el amor, en nuestra familiar, nuestro hogar.

OLENA: I agree with you so many things. Is foundation from the home, like love, carrying, forgiveness, compassion, or empathy. And so, they would be able to share and give it to others.

DHAARMIKA: I noticed that the parents were very curious about each other. They really respected what they were hearing and wanted to learn more.

MATT: Another thing, not only loving your child in the home, but also showing your child how you would treat a stranger, and loving, and caring about what they think and how they feel in a positive way, instead of through social media where it can be seen negatively.

LEE: Yeah, Matt, I think what you said is just really, really powerful. It makes me think about when our children are at home and they're younger, we really have a fantastic opportunity to model those types of behaviors regarding compassion, and respect, and love.

DHAARMIKA: This video series will follow parents and teens as they learn tools that will help them bridge differences. You guys have been exposed to lots of different people in our community, from different cultural backgrounds, and ages, and all sorts of things. My daughters, Sonali and Nina, and I will explore the power of nurturing a value diversity mindset in teens.

Everyone has their own story and a different story, and we don't know what that story is until we ask them. Lee and Noah will explore how to listen with compassion.

LEE: There are points in time when that longer experience does enable me to try and put myself in your shoes and see things from your perspective.

DHAARMIKA: Olena and Tymofy will learn how to recognize our potential for change.

OLENA: Tymofiy, I appreciate you for doing this and sharing your feelings. And honestly, I'm so proud of you.

DHAARMIKA: Legi and Sam will unpack identity for teens.

LEGI: ¿Cómo influye tu identidad con respecto a las personas con las que te rodeas?

DHAARMIKA: Matt and Luna will learn how to navigate emotions.

MATT: If it wasn't for my daughter, I don't think I would have wanted to connect to anything or anyone again. But when I knew I was going to be a dad, I knew I had too. And I did. And it's helped me out a lot.

DHAARMIKA: I see you smiling.

LUNA: That was heart touching.

DHAARMIKA: If five random families could get together that have such differences and bridge the way we bridged, I think that there's a lot of hope in this world for more bridging to happen.