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A Helpful, Hopeful Guide to Talking to Kids About Welcoming Refugees

“Every child deserves a warm welcome—and a chance to welcome others as well.”

Jennifer Jackson & Miry Whitehill

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

When it comes to talking to kids about difficult topics from the news, parents’ first instincts are often to protect their little ones from complicated concepts like refugee resettlement. But children are much more emotionally intelligent than we realize—and giving them age-appropriate information can lead to a chance for them to activate their empathy in new and important ways.

But where do you start? No parent or teacher wants to create anxiety, but a little guidance goes a long way. Jennifer Jackson and Miry Whitehill’s vibrant picture book, Our World Is a Family, offers child-friendly messages about hospitality, compassion, refugees, and immigration, giving families an easy way to start these conversations.

“The truth is that every child deserves a warm welcome—and a chance to welcome others as well,” Jackson and Whitehill say. And while they understand some parents’ hesitancy to bring it up, they assure families that their kids will be better for it. “Not only can kids handle it, they can jump in and help. Their spirit of welcoming can be an incredibly important part of how resettling students experience their new school and community.” It’s something they’ve seen firsthand: Whitehill’s nonprofit, Miry’s List, is devoted to welcoming new arrival refugee families.

Here, the authors share their favorite resources for parents preparing for the conversation—as well as videos and recipes kids can dig right into themselves.

Talking to Kids About the Ukraine Invasion

Jennifer Jackson and Miry Whitehill: “When it comes to kid-appropriate language for tackling difficult topics, PBS is a consistently great resource. Their guide to talking to young kids about the crisis in Ukraine is a helpful way to bring them into what’s happening in the news.”

How to Talk to Your Kids About the Refugee Crisis

JJ & MW: “Similarly, this guide from Parents helps frame conversation with kids about the refugee crisis in Afghanistan and around the world. We appreciate that they separate out the tips for parents of little kids, tweens, and teens.”

Wrapping the World in Welcome

JJ & MW: “When discussing the concept of warm welcomes with young kids, it’s easy to get literal, and what’s more emblematic of that spirit than a welcome blanket? This non-profit provides refugee families with handmade blankets and sweet welcome notes from their creators. Which yes, can include you and your kids! They’ve got great tutorials for making your own quilt to donate.”

Coping With Traumatic Experiences

JJ & MW: “It warms our hearts that Sesame Street would tackle the topic of helping families process the trauma of resettling. Not only is this an excellent resource to share with newcomers in your community, but it can help others understand what a refugee who experienced trauma might be going through. Plus, who doesn’t love a video on how to give yourself a hug?”

Children’s Books About Immigration, Migration, and Refugees

JJ & MW: “Our book joins so many other wonderful children’s stories that explore the world of refugees and people seeking asylum. This site has a great list if you’re looking to build out your library—or even better, want to purchase copies for your local school.”

See How Dancing Helps This Young Refugee Feel Welcome in a New Country [WATCH]

JJ & MW: “Here’s some all-family screentime: A short, beautiful documentary from National Geographic that follows Zain (a refugee from Pakistan) as he learns and performs a dance that ultimately helps him begin to feel more at home.”

What Does It Mean to Be a Refugee? [WATCH]

JJ & MW: “This video is geared towards adults—and perhaps older teens—but provides a great primer on what refugees go through on their journey to finding a new home. We recommend watching this and sharing your takeaways with kids to help them understand where new arrivals are coming from.”

People of the World: Training for Tiny Welcomers

JJ & MW: “Imagine you’ve just landed in a new and unfamiliar place and on top of trying to learn a new language and figure out where your nearest grocery store is, you’re also in need of things like washcloths…or a unicorn bike helmet. The impetus for our book came from Miry’s work with Miry’s List, the non-profit she founded to help support families resettling in the United States. This link has plenty of ‘what’s next’ ideas for curious readers, including a guide to writing a welcome letter for new arrivals, and a chance to buy a housewarming gift for new arrivals.”

Abeer’s Classic Hummus

JJ & MW: “Spread hummus, not hate! Making and sharing food is a wonderful way to connect with new arrival families. Here’s a recipe for the best hummus you’ve ever tasted, courtesy of Abeer, a Syrian chef who resettled here in the US a few years ago.”

To Teach Children to Give, Tell Them How Much Your Family Has Been Given

JJ & MW: “The writer of this piece is talking about giving money, but the ideas in here can so easily be applied to how we give our time and our energy, how we share space and offer support. At Miry’s List, we know a family is thriving when they begin to ask about volunteer opportunities for welcoming other newcomers.”

Jennifer Jackson & Miry Whitehill

Jennifer Jackson and Miry Whitehill are the authors of Our World Is a Family, a children’s book illustrated by Nomar Perez.

Jackson has always been a storyteller. She began her career in live theater as a writer, director, and choreographer before transitioning to the page with her first picture book, The Punkydoos Take the Stage.

Whitehill is founder and executive director of the award-winning non-profit organization Miry’s List, which supports families resettling in the United States as refugees, from countries including Syria and Afghanistan.