Systems and Feelings

Along with many of our community members, we’ve felt overwhelmed, angry, frustrated, and sad at the recent events (sparked by the death of George Floyd) that have highlighted the ongoing injustices faced by our friends and colleagues of black or brown skin. At Brighter Fun, we stand in solidarity with the black community in the battle for justice and equity.

We hope the spotlight continues to shine on oppressive systems, and feel that it is only with sustained focus and action that change will take place. The actions we choose to take with our children can be particularly powerful catalysts for change. It is critical to discuss recent events with children and to share our own feelings as parents or caregivers with them. Kids are very perceptive and will know we are feeling emotions one way or the other. By sharing our feelings during these times, it can increase awareness with children and help them see the inequities that exist. Each one of us working constantly, learning and sharing what we can sets the example for our rising generation. Black lives matter and it is up to us to emphasize that fact on a regular basis. If we believe that each person shines unique qualities that add incalculable value to our community, we need to raise our voices.

We appreciated the words of Howard Stevenson, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, who’s been studying racial socialization for over 30 years. According to Dr. Stevenson, “you’re always communicating about race, whether you talk about it or not.” Children are constantly reading adults around them for how to view the world, what opinions to form, and where to find knowledge. Taking a proactive approach to discussing race, systemic oppression, and barriers can create an open channel for children to view the world as it really is - and then seek to change it for the better.

One of the primary reasons for creating Brighter Fun was to address inequities in social-emotional education. Very few high-quality, low-cost options exist for families to address social-emotional learning at home. Resources shouldn’t determine emotional development. We believe it is a human right to learn and develop our feelings. We’ve aimed to address this with our products and feel strongly about creating additional products that are even more honed in. Please stay tuned for upcoming games and tinkering ideas for addressing systems of injustice and feelings.