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How pro-life parents should talk to their kids about abortion

June 9, 2022 (Campaign Life Coalition) – Pro-life parents must be diligent in teaching the truth about abortion to their children amidst the onslaught of misinformation spread by the pro-abortion movement. Teaching your child about the reality of abortion from a young age will help to foster their love and care for human life.

Today’s Parent recently released an article titled How to talk to your kids about abortion prompted by the excitement in the U.S. surrounding the leaked document by the Supreme Court on the overturning of Roe. The article provides a pro-abortion perspective on how to navigate conversations with a child wondering about abortion.

The article explains that the discussion of abortion has to start with one of consent, leading up to the idea that “a person has to...consent to a pregnancy in their body.” This sets the stage for the argument that if a person does not consent to the pregnancy, then abortion is somehow morally permissible. Right from the start, abortion activists would corrupt children by having them believe that “consent" somehow determines the value of someone else’s existence, such that if you don’t consent to their existence, you can exterminate them.

These conversations about consent, however, divert the child from the main issue at hand, namely that abortion ends a human life and that nobody should ever have the right to end the life of an innocent human being.

The article then urges parents to essentially dehumanize the baby in the womb so that the child will not perceive that it’s a living human person being destroyed in his or her mother’s womb. The article suggests that parents refrain from using the word “baby” until “after the fetus has left the uterus.” And, abortion is defined as “stopping a pregnancy from continuing,” making no mention of the fact that it’s a human person who is destroyed in the abortion. The article essentially encourages parents to frame abortion in such a way as to lead the child into believing that “stopping a pregnancy” is simply a routine “medical procedure.”

But abortion is the direct and intentional killing of a human being living in his or her mother’s womb, not simply a routine “medical procedure” that ends a “pregnancy.”

Pro-life parents need to speak the truth about the humanity of the preborn, about the beauty and wonder of life in the womb, teaching their children about the gift of life.

Teaching your children about the baby’s development in the womb will help establish a firm awareness that this life is human, and that this baby is just like you and me, a full member of the human family deserving love, protection, and human rights. And yes, call this living being a “baby,” because he or she is truly the youngest member of the human family. Show them pictures (like these ones here) or animated videos (like the one below) of the different stages of the baby’s development. (Report continues after video)

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Children will marvel at finding out that the baby’s heart began beating at just 5 weeks old. They will be astounded to learn that at 9 weeks, the baby began to move her arms and legs. At 14 weeks, she could even suck her thumb.

Get excited about this new life in the world and your child will be excited too.

By focusing on humanizing pre-born children, pro-life parents teach their children to want to love and cherish these tiny humans, directly contradicting the pro-abortion narrative that wants to rob those preborn babies of their humanity.

When your child has a firm understanding of life inside the womb and is old enough, you could explain how some women in very difficult situations are scared. Sometimes, the people around them convince them to think they won’t be able to handle raising a baby, so they decide to end the baby’s life.

For very young children, there is no need for any sort of graphic detailing how the abortion happens. Parents need to simply convey that a life has been ended and it is a great tragedy. They need to convey that a tiny, unique, and entirely innocent human will never live to be born. They need to convey that ending a life this way is always wrong.

After learning what abortion is, your child will probably ask why. Why would someone choose to kill a baby?

You could explain that often, the mother chooses abortion because she is not given other options or the support she needs. Some mothers choose to kill their babies because they are selfish, or because they are pressured into it by others. Many mothers don’t understand how wrong this choice is.

Parents should tell children that many women faced with a crisis pregnancy mistakenly believe that they have no other choice other than ending the life of their baby. Let the children know that there is always a way forward for a mother in such a situation that respects the life of her baby, whether it be parenting or adoption.

I personally remember that when I first learned about abortion, I did not fully know how it happened but felt sorry that those babies were killed, though I was somewhat comforted by the fact that they were now safe in Heaven. I also felt very sad for mothers who chose abortion because, so I thought at the time, they weren’t given enough information by doctors nor supported sufficiently by health clinics.

As a young child, I never thought for a moment that a mother who knew what abortion truly was would choose to kill her own child, and I am grateful for my parents for protecting that innocence in me. Sadly, that meant it was hard to learn about how many women are fully aware of the procedure and the outcome, and go ahead with an abortion anyways because they still believe that to be the best option.

The pro-abortion movement wants parents to teach their children that life in the womb is only as valuable as it is convenient. Abortion activists want children to view abortion as valid of a decision as choosing life. Then, when these children grow up, they will have the mindset of a young mother who recently made a horifying video of herself holding her infant and proudly stating: “I could have killed you, but I chose to let you live.” The woman added that she realizes “what I just said and I stand by it.” Abortion activists would be proud of how this woman is talking to her child. Many people, however, are rightly shocked. Pro-life parents must be vigilant about teaching their children to love life, especially life in the womb, so they don’t grow up to be like the woman in this video. (Report continues after tweet)

When, God willing, I someday have children of my own, I’m excited to express to them how much of a gift they are, how their life is a miracle, and how I would go to any length to protect them. I look forward to teaching them about the sanctity of all human life and the beauty of their own, uniquely exquisite souls. I look forward to teaching them that life is such a gift and should be protected at every moment.

So, how should you talk to your kids about abortion? Tell them the truth.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

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