r/blackparents

New parent here and I just realized there’s a huge disconnect between what I thought kindergarten would cover and what teachers on TikTok are saying kids should already know before day 1.

And my thing is… okay fine. If expectations have changed, that’s fair...But then shouldn’t there be some kind of clear, widespread effort to communicate that to parents?

Because right now it feels like unless you’re deep in teacher content online or already “in the know,” you could easily be setting your child up to start behind without realizing it.

So I’m trying to get grounded in reality here: what do y'all consider the bare minimum info vs above average / advanced?

Would especially love to hear from teachers & parents with kids already in elementary school!

Thank you for reading

With everything changing so fast these days, I sometimes wonder what we should really be teaching our children now.

AI is changing jobs and education. So much of our food is processed or genetically modified. Healthcare often feels more focused on money than actual wellness. And the old formula many of us grew up believing in doesn’t seem as solid anymore.

A lot of us were taught:
Go to school.
Get a stable job.
Stay close to home.
Buy a house.
Work one career for 30–40 years.
Retire and hopefully enjoy life afterward.

But does that still prepare kids for the world they’re growing up in now?

Should we be teaching them differently?

Maybe more about:
• how to create income in different ways
• how to think for themselves
• how to stay kind and connected in a world that feels less personal
• how to take care of their health and pay attention to what they consume
• how to use technology without becoming consumed by it
• how to live a peaceful, meaningful life without feeling like they need millions just to survive

Saying "Thank You", "Your Welcome", "Excuse Me", "I'm Sorry" is not hard.  The morals and values many of us grew up with in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s still matter to me. Respect. Courtesy. Community. Hard work. Human connection should spread like wildfire!  But does it?

Are we teaching those things enough anymore?

Knowing how quickly the world is changing, what would you do differently when raising children today?

I had a moment with him that I still think about.

He asked me why none of the kids on the shows he watches look like him. I’m pretty intentional about what he watches—mostly early-learning shows, with a little flexibility here and there.

And honestly… I didn’t have a good answer.

It made me realize how early kids notice these things—even when we think they don’t.

For other parents here—have your kids ever said something like that? Or had a moment that really made you pause?

I’d genuinely love to hear your experiences.