099. [Replay Episode] How to Raise Children Through a Lens of Social Justice with Samantha Siers

In this episode, I reflect on the emotional aftermath of the 2024 Presidential Election and the importance of focusing on family and community during uncertain times. Because I needed time to rest, I made the decision to replay an impactful interview with a Latina mami, social worker, and Obama Foundation Scholar, Samantha Siers. 

As mamás, we have been or will be having many difficult conversations with our children. Some of these conversations will be related to social justice-related issues like racism, poverty, and homelessness. In order for us to dismantle biases and prejudices, we should be mindful of what we say and what we model for our kids to ensure they are social justice-minded children.

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In this week’s episode, we welcome Samantha Siers (she/her) who is a mom of two, and a 2023-2024 Obama Foundation Scholar. Through her personal experience with teenage parenthood, Samantha is passionate about offering robust, equitable, support services to mothers of color on Chicago's south and west sides. Her project with the Obama Foundation centers around creating a resource database that is truly reflective of the unique needs of single mothers.

Samantha discusses the importance of instilling kindness, thoughtfulness and a sense of social justice in children and shares tips for families to become agents of change.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why it is important to raise justice-minded children.
• How to raise children through a social justice lens and how to help reduce fear.
• Age-appropriate lessons that we can teach our children and how to expose our children to normalize this process.
• How to navigate political differences in family.

Ways to connect with Samantha Siers on LinkedIn and learn about the work she is doing.

Feeling overwhelmed by navigating cultural expectations and modern parenting as a Latina mom? Join Balanced Madrehood, Viva la Mami's signature coaching program designed to empower Latina moms to create a more balanced and fulfilling madrehood journey.  Head over to vivalamami.com/balanced-madrehood to learn more!

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Transcript

1:20

so it is. Wednesday. November 6, 20, 24. The day after the 2024 election. And y'all I have so many feels. Too many feelings. This day has been full of. Anxiety. My stomach has been hurting all day. Like literally I'm just physically sick. I am sad. I am frustrated. I am disappointed. But I am not surprised. With the results. And I am someone who advocates for social justice. I am a community builder. I am a daughter of immigrants. I am a first-generation college student. And I am a mama raising two brown boys. And so this is to say that. As a result of the 2024 election. Aye. Wanted to take it easy today. To really focus on. My family. To really preserve our time together. Despite of so many unknowns that can happen in our future, especially my kids future. So this week I wanted to do a new episode. But because of the results and everything, I wasn't in the full mindset, to record and to be fully present in my work. However, as I was reflecting on replaying an old episode of the Veeva mommy podcast. I immediately thought of my interview with Samantha Sears, who I interviewed last season last year. And so I will be replaying her episode because I think this one captures. Important things that we have to do as parents. And how we can raise socially justice minded children. I posted today on Instagram about. How as Latina moms, we carry a. Profound responsibility and shaping our kids worldview. And it's all about how we show up in front of them. They see what we're doing. They are modeling after us. And As a motherhood platform focused on the Latino motherhood experience. It is also my responsibility to tell you how important our work is as Latina moms, where we're not only teaching them to be compassionate neighbors, but to also honor our cultural heritage, to not forget where we come from to really celebrate our event, the, that as Latinos. And we have to be mindful of our ancestors and why we are here today. At the end of the day, I think it's just important to. Think about our intentions in our parenting. In terms of how we're showing up in front of our kids. And all what I want us to do is just to choose kindness over hate. To choose empathy over fear. And to choose respect over bullying. And I understand that the weight of motherhood. Feels really heavy, especially on days like these, when we. Feel Defeated when we feel like we don't know where to go from here, I get it. I have felt like this all day and I'm like, crap, where am I going to go from here? what does this look like four years from today? What will it look like really four years from today? Even though. We can rest right now. Let things sink in. Reaching out to people definitely helps building that. That definitely helps, but I think as my MAs. We're doing some important work. And that is. Raising kids. That hopefully one day. They can be empathetic, understanding, respectful, loving, Individuals. And I'm not here to shame anyone. No, but I know that all of us have. A set of values. And believes that can ultimately connect us. Where we can meet somewhere in the middle. And so. Even on days like these, when we don't feel like we're doing enough. No, that we are powerful and we are fully capable. Of empowering. The future generation. hope you're taking it easy. No, then I'm here for you. I have been receiving so many DMS on Instagram and even texts from family and friends. It's so good to check in on each other. because right now we really need it. We need community. We need. Coalitions of individuals so that we can continue to fight. For our freedom. To fight for justice and to fight for our kids. That's basically the bottom line. So that they can have a better future than us. All right. So with that being said, I'm going to replay my episode with Samantha Sears. And that way we can just think about our actions. Of how we may want to raise children who are going to be. Understanding individuals. So that way we are shaping. Them not just for their future, but the future for our entire community. We'll take care of MIGA. And I'll catch you in next week's episode. Welcome to the podcast. I am your host, Jessica Cuevas. I am a mother of two on a mission to help redefine the meaning of motherhood as a modern Latina mom. Motherhood can be a complex journey, interwoven in two identities that often make us feel ni de aquí, ni de allá. Viva La Mami is committed to providing you with knowledge, tools, and support to navigate the challenges and triumphs of motherhood as Latina moms. On the show, we'll be discussing culturally relevant topics that will help inform and empower you in whichever season you are in on your motherhood journey. We'll be joined by Latina moms, experts and professionals who can offer advice, practical tips, relatable stories, and honest conversations. So bring your cafecito as I invite you to be a part of this space as we create Comunidad about the exciting and challenging parts of being a mami. Ahora, vámonos.

Track 1: 8:24

Ola. Ola. Samantha, how are you?

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 8:26

I'm good. How are you, Jessica?

Track 1: 8:28

I am good. Thank you so much for being here as a mama, as someone who is a working professional and Obama Foundation scholar, I feel like I would love for you to talk about yourself, but also we can delve further into the conversation about raising social justice minded children.'cause I've been wanting to do an episode about this, and so if you can tell our listeners a little bit more about yourself self.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 8:54

Yeah, of course. So my name's Samantha. She, her, her I am a mom of two, so I have a nine year old and a two year old. I've been married for 10 years now. So, my husband and I, we met in high school in Buckeye, Arizona, didn't really start dating until college either he was in a relationship or I was in a relationship, but, College came and we were finally both single and we've kind of been together ever since. we Started our family really young. son kind of came on the scene when I was 19. My husband was 21. So motherhood was it, it took me by surprise and it was a whirlwind. It's been a whirlwind ever since. But I love every single moment with my, my two children and feel really fortunate and so blessed to have them in my life. So I feel like everything I do and everything I am is kind of centered around motherhood and that's such a point of pride for me is being able to grow this little family. I'm currently working on my master's of social work at the University of Chicago School of Social Work called the Crown Family School of Social Work. I really have loved, loved my time there but in my former life I was an educator, so I was actually a Title one teacher in back of the arts at a little Catholic school called San Miguel School, and absolutely loved the work that I did there. Only ended up changing professions because I wanted to create more systemic impact in the lives of the students and their parents as well. And so that's, that's kind of where the shift to social work came from, and I've just, I've loved all the twists and turns in this professional life of mine and personal life as well.

Track 1: 10:36

That is awesome that despite you being a young mom, you still achieved your your dreams in terms of becoming an educator and then pivoting towards social work. And I, I just admire Las Mure who Push through who persevere, you know, despite adversity and who just continue through and, and work hard, not only to achieve their own specific goals, but also to show, and, their children that they can also achieve what they want to. Even if there are some bumps in the way, even if there are some obstacles uh, come in the way. So, yeah. Thank you for sharing that. And so what you do now, can you tell us a little bit more about the work that you're doing in terms of being a social work student, but you were selected as an Obama Foundation scholar. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? I.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 11:32

Of course. So like I said, my professional journey has kind of pivoted and shifted as my interests, you know, have, have changed or I, I saw a need and wanted to fulfill that need. So, when I was working with my students, I really was noticing that a lot of their academic struggles was tied to economic hardship and community violence. And so that's really what created my shift from wanting to get my master's in administration.'cause I originally thought I was gonna be principal, vice principal dean, something like that, and shift to wanting to get my M S W. Then in my, because I was a part-time student in my second year of my master's program, I did my first internship and I was placed at a nonprofit, national nonprofit, called Live Chicago. And there I spent a year doing financial coaching for predominantly single mothers of color here on the south and west sides of Chicago. And again, I saw a lot of those systemic issues that were impacting my students, a lack of resources being in historically underfunded communities, community violence, you know, living in food deserts, a lot of the same reoccurring issues that were affecting. My sixth through eighth graders was affecting these women that I was coaching that are like 20 to 50 years old. You know, still, 2, 3, 4 decades later. Those children are still facing the same kind of issues. And so, A lot of what I did as a coach was trying to get resources to these single mothers trying to figure out childcare, trying to brainstorm with them whether it made sense to go back to school or if we could just try to find a higher paying job, or maybe they should just do a certificate instead. Right? Trying to weigh out their options and really build A foundation of financial security. That's really what we're trying to aim to do. And so when I was applying to the Obama Scholars program, it's incredibly competitive. They only take Master's students who are entering their final year of school, and you have to be in one of three schools. You have to either be in the Booth, school of Business, Harry School of Public Policy, or Crown Family School of Social Work. So thankfully I was at the social work school, but still to get into this program, you need to have an idea, a plan or at like, at least a basic concept of a project that is sustainable creates impact. It's something that the community needs. The Obama Foundation is especially interested in projects that are gonna enhance the lives of folks living on the south and west sides of Chicago. Naturally. Obamas have very strong ties to the south side of Chicago, and so I kind of was already brainstorming this issue and so I pitched an idea to the Obama Foundation that I wanted to, either create some kind of hotline for specifically mothers of color on the south and west sides of Chicago, or create a resource database. Now, resource databases, they've been done, right? You know, you can look online. Nine. 3 1 1 now in Chicago. That's pretty much like a phone

Track 1: 14:44

Mm-hmm.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 14:45

database. But they have the same kind of issues that we face at Lyft. the resource is too far from our member, they don't have Spanish speaking services or other languages. have no space for a person. And so my concept for creating a resource database is it's going to be created by our members and for our members specifically. So if our members engage with a resource that they are enjoying, they feel like had value, that was able to serve them in the way that they say they're gonna be served, then we're gonna add that resource to a database because it's been vetted by our member through personal experience. And now other members feel like they can trust that resource more than just like a coach, you know, recommending a resource that they maybe never personally engage with. They've just heard it's a good resource. No, this is From our members have already experienced it. They can write a quick review. I'm actually working on a member facing like website where they can log in, they can write about the resource, they can leave a review, kind of talk about their experience. And so it just feels much more personal. It's been vetted by people who needed that resource. I just feel like it gets rid of that gatekeeping of resources too, that we often see in social work that like you have to go to a social worker to engage in a resource, like to, I mean, me as like a future social worker, I think that's silly too. You know, if, if our member needs something like in the, in the moment like they're having a mental health crisis should be able to find that information themselves without having to engage with a therapist or social worker. If, if they desire to do so, you know, if they want a little bit more privacy, so, I pitched this idea to the Obama Foundation, never thinking like in a lifetime I would get selected. I had friends doing like incredible work with a lot more funding, that still didn't even get an interview. And I still ask myself sometimes, like, what did they see in me to choose me? Like I'm like an overwhelmed mom of two, like trying to get my life together, but they saw something in my project, my vision and my experience that says like, this could be really a thing. After like nine months of mentorship and putting like resources and trainings into this person, like this might come to fruition and really have impact on the south and west sides of Chicago. And like that to me is incredible. Like for someone to really vet you so extensively, they told us on day one of our orientation that all of our resumes have been on the desk of Barack Obama. And he personally read through our experiences and our like little blurbs about ourselves and he approved all of us to be in the program. So, my God, like that to me is like,

Track 1: 17:38

Yes.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 17:38

made me so proud of like, what, what I've been able to accomplish. Especially like thinking, again, back to like that 19 year old that was super terrified of like becoming a mother in just a couple months and trying to figure out life and, you know, here several years down the line, like I'm, I have this incredible opportunity that's gonna be so impactful in my career for the rest of my career. So I feel really blessed saw something in my project that they felt like was worth investing in.

Track 1: 18:11

Oh my gosh. Congratulations. I, I was very excited to learn a little bit more about your story, but now you sharing this, I literally like I got goosebumps

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 18:24

Igra. Yes.

Track 1: 18:25

Just because like how you reflected of that 19 year old girl who was like freaking out about pregnancy and becoming a mom. But look at so much that you've done in nine, 10 years and the fact that you are not just doing it for, you know, because you have a good heart, but you're also doing it for moms because perhaps you or someone you knew or no has struggled and needs that specific attention and resources. So that way they're not lost in either their mothering, their, you know, journey And, and yeah. I wish you the very best of luck in your project and your vision and in making that into fruition, but also the fact that Obama like reviewed your application and everything. I mean, that speaks a lot that your vision is gonna come true and it will, and it, I feel like it's, it's definitely needed. So that is awesome. I was gonna ask like, have you met the Obamas

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 19:34

I will be meeting Barack Obama the Democracy Forum in early November, Barack Obama will be a keynote speaker and all of the Obama scholars were gonna be able to do like a little round talk discussion with him take a group photo. So like, I'm super excited and don't tell Barack, but I was really hoping Michelle was gonna be there. So, unfortunately not.

Track 1: 19:54

course.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 19:55

But maybe sometime throughout this year like blown away. We've already been able to meet such like, incredible speakers, you know, like activists, some like politicians here in Chicago and just so much networking that You know, being, being able to be in those rooms. My gosh, I never really understood the value of these kinds of connections before. I'm just like so excited for all of it.

Track 1: 20:19

And I see it just like representation matters and the fact that you are Latina, and you did share with me that there aren't as many Latinos in your cohort. And so the fact that you are representing us, I'm really proud of you and I don't even know you Like this is amazing

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 20:37

Thank you. Yeah. Me and Teresa Rajas, we're the only Latinas in our cohort.

Track 1: 20:44

Wow, that's awesome. You did mention that through your previous experience and work, this ultimately led you into, you know, creating a program for moms of color in the west and south sides of Chicago. So how does it impact you as a parent on a personal level?

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 21:05

I've Honestly become more thoughtful about parenting. The more I've had the privilege to like seek education and engage in education.'cause I'm not gonna lie, when I first had my son, it was like all about survival. You know? We did not have money. We had wic, we had snap, we had whatever kind of benefits we needed to just to like make it day by day because we were Both in school and you know, doing internships and trying to work whatever hours we could. It was just all about survival. And so I really felt like I started to become more thoughtful about parenting as like I got to sit in some fabulous education classes at Arizona State University, learn about child development, learn about how the brain works, learn about trauma, and really become very reflective on like my own childhood and the kind of childhood I want for my children. And then no one tells you, but social work school is like three years of therapy. It really is like I've I did a project that was so life changing in my family systems class where I was asked to map out three generations of my family, which, you know, as a Latina, anytime you hear family tree, you're like, oh no, I'm gonna need like 10 pieces of paper, but whatever. I did my family tree going back three generations, and we were asked to pinpoint two generational patterns and after we pinpointed those patterns, we had to talk about whether we engaged in those patterns or actively disengaged in those patterns. And so one of them was teenage pregnancy, and so my grandmother was a teenage mom. I have nine aunts. The majority of them were teenage moms or had multiple children as teenagers and then myself as well. So that like, wow, I was so reflecting on like what what kind of put me at risk for teenage parenting and reflecting on like, what do I want for my own daughter? I had a one-year-old at the time thinking about like how I don't want her to have to go through that as well and how hard it was. And so I think as I've been able to just spend more time in the classroom and just learning and reading, it's made me more thoughtful parent. So I'm so grateful for that because I've just learned things that I would've, I don't know, I've never, would, never would've even given thought to before, like how important it is to get enough sleep depending on the age of the child. And like that's nothing that people teach you, you know, they, like how many times as a child did you go to a party and there's like a baby sleeping at like two, barely going to sleep at like 2:00 AM at like a family party. that's just Like

Track 1: 23:46

to say that. Yeah.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 23:47

Like how normal is that? And it's just like learning about how the Zero to three, how impactful those years are for a child and the developing brain to make sure that they're eating the right things and getting enough sleep and that they're socializing properly. And, you know, getting enough outdoor time and, you know, all these things that you just, you were never taught about. No, no one teaches you how to parent. You just figure it out. It's like everyone's just thrown into the water and they're figuring it out. So I felt really blessed that I've been able to kind of tackle parenting from a very academic point of view. And then also just like through teenage mom trying, trying to survive. So I, I kind of, I had both, um, parenting journeys so far and have gained like, immense knowledge and strength from both almost equally. So definitely my my academic journey I feel like has impacted my parenting the most.

Track 1: 24:41

That is awesome. And it's interesting that you said that, you know, you're connecting the way that you're parenting BA based off of like those two worlds, so to speak that you had. And for me, I'm all about education. And it really doesn't matter about like the level of education or what have you. You can learn on your own as long as you are curious, as long as you seek different aspects of, you know, inquiry, whether if it's through scholarly journals or podcasts, even books, you know, or even through people as well, just having this variety of capital and that way you can get better informed in the way that. You can parent. Right? And I feel like oftentimes as Latinos, we lean in so much on our people,

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 25:32

Mm-hmm.

Track 1: 25:33

our aunts, uncles, atos parents, right? And that is the only way that we essentially parent, right? But there is more to that. We get so influenced by the people that are so close to us, which oftentimes can be toxic. Oftentimes it just doesn't align with your values. And that also has to do with like soul searching with yourself and figuring out like, okay, what do I want? How do I wanna approach this? How do I wanna, you know, essentially parent. So it is interesting that you mentioned that and, and I'm all for learning new things as well. And so, considering your, all of this, right, your background, uh, your educational background, why is it important to raise justice minded children in your opinion?

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 26:23

Yeah. I had mentioned that one of the reasons why I sh I shifted from education is social work is wanting to create more systemic change and kind of get to the root of some of these issues. And, you know, throughout this journey, there's been times where I felt like, are we really gonna ever solve this issue? It feels so big. It feels like, you know, I'm, I'm just one person. All of us are just, you know, just limited. By money, time, whatever have you to get it, try to tackle some major issues, you know? And I think one of the things that continually keeps me inspired and hopeful is raising two little humans that are so at their core. Like such good people, like they're genuine, like children are just genuinely kind. I think the world influences them and experience can create some of those, like undesirable characteristics. But I do think children are born pure and born good. And it, it's just through environments that, you know, they kind of shift from that sometimes, unfortunately. And my kids just keep me so hopeful for the future. And so, like I said I've had the two spectrums of parenting the teenager that didn't know what she was doing, but was trying her best to survive. And then like us being two professionals now where we're comfortable, you know, we're not wealthy, but we're comfortable. And so our kids have more opportunity and more resources now. And I know more about parenting and the brain and development and all those things. So they've had two very different experiences. bUt I, I'm, I'm realizing now how important it is to instill these values in my kids so that I can take that pureness, that natural, like good that they're born with and just expand that for a lifetime to something that's beyond themselves. Okay. They're happy, they're good. I'm glad. But what about their neighbor, you know, are, are they okay? Like, And I, I wanna raise children that are thoughtful about that. And so, you know, this is something my husband and I talk about frequently is like, what do we want our children to be like in adulthood? What do we want them to care about? What do we want them to value? So really think it's important to be on the same page with your partner if there is a partner to like, figure out what do you want for your children beyond just like the monetary, physical stuff. You know, I'm talking about like the inside, you know, what kind of soul do you want them to have? And so we have discussions about that. And also I think it's incredibly important for parents to provide that, like be that role model to provide that leadership. You know, you guys are the heads of the household and children will follow suit. You know, if they see you kind of doing something like they see mom cooking in the kitchen, what do the kids wanna do? Oh, I, I wanna help chop, or I wanna help peel, or, you know, they follow after what you do. So I, I think it's very important To take on that, that leadership role for your children. And so some of the ways that I try to do that is I volunteer my time when I can. As you know, we have a huge refugee crisis right now in the city of Chicago. And so in my free time, I will go and take leftover diapers from our diaper distributions, go drop it off at police stations or with volunteers that can disperse them at police stations. These are things my kids see and they ask questions about, mom, why is the car full of diapers? And then I'll take a moment to kind of explain. I Also did mentoring through iMentor when my son was three until he was five years old. So I was matched with a senior in high school and she was gonna be first gen and kind of walking her through the college application process. And so there was times my son would cry because I had to, I was going to a networking event with her and I would just. In, in a words that a three four yearold would explain, explain what mom is doing. I'm trying to help a girl go to college. She's gonna be the first in her family. Mommy's just trying to make it easier for her. So from a young age, that role model, being that leadership in the household so that your children kind of see a person who is being thoughtful of others so that it becomes normal. This is a way of life. It should be standard for us all to think about our neighbors just as much as we think about ourselves. And I, I feel really fortunate because I had that role model with, with my mom and with my dad. They were thinking about other people. so it just became more natural to me, um, to do so. And I've just kind of carried that along. It's also big that I have a career in social work. So, you know, it's kind of built into my schedule, but even in my free time, trying to model that and including my kids in that process as well. You know, they be stacking my car with diapers sometimes if I need a, I need a hand. So they're involved in the process.

Track 1: 31:19

I also have a social justice background with my master's in higher education at Loyola University of Chicago, which is very focused on social justice. And it wasn't until then in my late twenties that I learned all about the isms, right? All about the inequities. And this is mostly through the lens of education. And I just can't imagine about all other systems that essentially affect individuals, families, generations, right? And so I feel that growing up I wasn't taught necessarily about these core issues that we see. And kids often question, right? Like, why is there a homeless person? Why is this person asking for money or what have you? And the way that I grew up was like, oh, right? And yeah. And oftentimes that led to fear

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 32:20

like us And them we work so we have a good life and they're lazy. They don't wanna work, so they don't, yeah. They're on the Yes, very much us and them

Track 1: 32:30

yes. Absolutely. And so how can we help reduce that fear? Especially when seeing these um, inequities in front of us specifically?

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 32:41

Yeah. I think you bring a really good point of like, I am very aware that I grew up with a level of privilege to have parents. That one, my mom, my mom had a college degree, my dad did not. But he did have some folks in his family that were nurses. And so, you know, had that kind of more understanding about development, like I had mentioned in trauma and all those kinds of things. So there's a level of privilege too, because when you're trying to survive, um, you're kind of cut off from the world and from those educational opportunities and you just take it day by day. So, Even if you were not raised by parents that had the time to instill these values in you, it doesn't mean that they didn't think they were important. They might've just been trying to survive. And so it, I think it's important to also be reflective of the level of privilege we have, that we have the time to think about these big world issues, you know, because we know food's gonna be on the table. We know our kids have a bed to sleep in at night, but if they didn't, you know, for sure my mind would be there instead, rather than thinking about, you know, homelessness or the refugee crisis, you know, I would be, I gotta help my kids in the here and now. So I, I understand that for sure. But I think part of You know, trying to reduce that, that fear with my children, means being open to having those hard conversations. And I think a lot of it why we just kind of say why we kind of just brush brush off children's questions is like this capitalistic society. We're always in a rush. We're always trying to get to work. We're trying to get back from work. Like we're so pressed for time. I understand that as a problem of two who's also in school working. Like I understand that, but I have really started to understand like the importance of taking a minute, pausing to answer their questions in a thoughtful way. That's age appropriate. And that's what helps reduce the fear. So if we see a homeless person, and my kids, my kids are, are looking at one, two years old, they acknowledge that there's something different. This person is living on the street that is not normal. I live in a house. You know, they're making those connections from a really young age. Then you have 3, 4, 5 and up. They start to ask questions in an age appropriate way. Like, who is that? What are they doing? And then it goes to Mom, how come some people don't live in houses? Why do they have to live in a street? You know, so their questions become more complex, but the curiosity's always there. So taking moments, even if you don't have a moment in the, in, in, in the then and now, maybe later that night, having a conversation about it.

Track 1: 35:33

Hmm.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 35:34

Now what, what is root cause? Some root causes of homelessness. One rent is super high. You know, sometimes showing Redfin, listing Zillow of how expensive apartments are in your area. You know, that's something I've done with my nine now, year nine year old, where he's like starting to understand what a dollar's worth and he's like, what a one bedroom's$1,500. You know, he used to think$80 in his piggy bank was like, woo, he's wealthy. You know, that doesn't even cover a meal now for like a family of four sometimes is so taking those moments to have those, those hard conversations. Talking about mental health, talking about like depression, you know, some of, sometimes it's like a mental inability to work, not just physical. Inability, it's a mental inability to work. Sometimes talking about, you know, large ideas, but can be simplified in a way for a child to understand, It takes time. I know it's really hard in, in the day to sometimes find time, but those one, two minute conversations, they don't even have to be long. They just have to be honest with your child and in a way that's age appropriate. They can understand, you know, using words that are in their current vocabulary.

Track 1: 36:47

Yes. Absolutely. And what would you say for parents that perhaps don't know necessarily about. Why people become homeless. Right. Or just so that we can avoid stereotypes.'cause that's something that even for myself, that was instilled in me and so

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 37:08

yeah, for sure.

Track 1: 37:09

have to learn or I have to like read about it. Right. So what would you say about that?

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 37:15

If you can volunteer, it's major. I think it's so important to be working directly with the population that we're talking about, so we're not making those like dangerous assumptions. really once you kind of step in to this world of like social impact and you know, just change making. It's so easy to get sucked in. There's so many like amazing causes and amazing people that are dealing with these hardships. And you get connected and then you wanna learn more about this and you wanna learn more about that. And I'm like, in that part of my life, like I, I've worked with children, I've worked with single mothers, like I wanna go work with the elderly. I wanna, what's social work with animals? Like, what's that all about? You know? So it's always like learning, but yeah, volunteering. Highly recommend if you can. There's so many amazing organizations, like that's one of the reason why we moved to Chicago and we're never leaving, is how many grassroots organizations there are here. They're doing incredible work that are really the leaders in their space. So there's no lack of volunteer opportunities. Watch the news. We're still very much in that area where people dunno what they can trust and what they cannot. I would say, um, if you can watch and listen to news from multiple sources, so you can expand the perspectives of what you're hearing and then kind of take what you can from those multiple sources. But, um, those two honestly have, have been the most impactful for me. you're making the connection to these are some issues, these are folks who are trying to solve that issue.

Track 1: 38:54

And as far as with exposing our children, at what age do you think it's appropriate to go out in the community or volunteer with your child?

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 39:05

I think I, I believe that parents know their children's children best and you know, what they can handle in the moment. So parents know their children the best and can kind of figure out what's age appropriate. But generally I would for younger ages, recommending starting in the house, there's so many things that you can do from home, which I know firsthand how hard it's to get out of the house, to go anywhere, even a grocery store with little kids. Something that you can do for like refugees, you You can create. Meals from home and go deliver them to police stations. That's something that you can do with children. They can help chop, you know, I just give a butter knife and they kind of hack at something and they're, they're assisting and then pop them in the car seat. We're gonna go And, you know, they, the refugees are like, they're at the police stations. They're very like self-organized and become like very self-sufficient. They will come to your car door and help you unload. And, you know, that's already an interaction that the child gets to see, okay, food is leaving our hands and going into the hands of someone else seems so small, makes a big impact. And, you know, there's very, there's child exposure, but it's not to the point where it's would be overwhelming for a child of that age. So, you know, it can start in the home. Very simple things like that. Something I was working on just two days ago is I have a member who's like in, in need of a mattress. So I did like a crowdsourcing on my personal Facebook page. And so my son saw me scrolling on Amazon and I was like, oh, you know, I'm creating wishlist for my member. You know, she's dealing with this, we're trying to get her a mattress, that's why she needs it. I look mom posted on her Facebook, look at all these great people that are, you know, donating money. And we were able to donate, like, raise the money in like five hours. So that's at home, honestly, like it's amazing the kind of impact you can make. Just sitting at home, I was literally just on my phone, tapping around, copying a link, messaging my member and Just within five hours able to get somebody a mattress who's previously sleeping on the floor. So I think sometimes we overcomplicate things in our head. We think like, oh, I have to take my four month old, my eight month old to a, a soup kitchen and try to figure out how to like ladle things while I'm chasing my toddler around. That's like one of the amazing things about technology is we're so like interconnected now that we can have tremendous impact from our house. So don't overcomplicate it. Don't overcomplicate it. There's so many wonderful causes that you can engage with, with as much or as little time as you have, as much or as little resources you have. There's so many wonderful options.

Track 1: 41:55

you so much for sharing that. Because we may put the excuse like, oh, they're too young, or, oh, we have to physically be somewhere, you know, like the soup kitchen. I literally, I only thought about that. Like that was an only way that you can help out, you know, to the community and Yeah. And I love that that isn't just the case. And so what would you recommend to Mamas who are listening on this podcast, or parents um, who are doing the work, right. And raising social justice minded children who educate themselves, who are out there in the community, but other family members, whether it's their partner or atos, you know, and, and they, they don't, and I'm specifically thinking like, perhaps caregivers who watch the kids and perhaps they have different viewpoints or different perspectives. They say it out loud to the children and then they come back home and they're like, well, I'm confused. I should We confront to those specific individuals? Or is it sort of like taking it with a grain of salt and respecting whatever their viewpoints are?

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 43:02

I feel like this was such a popular conversation during like the Trump administration, there was like jokes on social media about like this Thanksgiving dinner with the families about to get crazy and there was a lot of division amongst families who were having these conversations about, all these like big hot button issues and there was such a divide. Parents like need to make the decision for their children that like aligns with their values, but understanding that, again, privilege comes into play because if you depend on somebody for childcare, you can't necessarily be like, oh, I don't agree with their political agenda now I have no childcare. I'm gonna lose my job. So there's a level of privilege too that comes into this conversation for sure. We've had the spectrum. We have, you know, people in our lives that completely agree with our agenda, you know, more or less. And we're fine. We have, you know, people that are very close to us that are complete opposites. And we'll have conversations with our children that I'm like, oh, don't necessarily agree with what you're saying, My son, as he's gotten older, is more aware of the political climate in the United States. And again, it goes back to having these con hard conversations with our kids. They're more aware than we give them credit for. Talking about how parties came to be in this country, kind of what is the, you know, main agenda of both parties that, you know, both feel like they're doing what's best for their constituents and you know, break that down. People that vote for them, you know, right? And age appropriate language. And so this is what mommy and daddy believe, but grandpa or you know, Tia or whoever, this is what they believe. This is why they believe that. This is why mommy and daddy believe this. When you get older, you're gonna have your own opinions on this topic. But let me tell you why, like, Mom and dad believe this certain thing and let me tell you why Grandpa or whoever believes this certain thing. So give them the why, you know?'cause all they hear is like snippets typically from family members or snarky comments or, you know, it's, I find more often than not, people are not sitting down to have to have a whole political conversation with my kids other than me and my husband. You know, they just hear like little crude comments from other family members. So it kind of comes in, in one ear out the other for the most part. But some parts stick, so we always go back and have those conversations. That being said, we've had to end one or two relationships because It was beyond the point that mommy and daddy could just have a conversation about, like, why that person believes if it's like inherently dangerous thinking or racist thinking or you know, prejudice thinking that's not something I want around my, my children. And it's, it's hard. But if it's a relationship that can be ended without seriously impacting the child's life, you know, if it's more like a, a, a friend that you hang out with sometimes that's having like this really dangerous thinking, you know, I might choose to end that relationship and that's a really difficult thing. But I'm also raising future adults that are gonna be voting one day and, and their vote is going to impact everyone else in this country. and that vote has a lot of value. And so I, I want them to be really thoughtful and not have thoughts that are rooted in tremendous bias and racism. So I have to make, you know, my husband and I have to make smart decisions about that as well. So you, you have the spectrum of political ideology and us as parents have to draw the line on like, what's not okay, what's kind of snarky. And my husband and I can do some discussion with our child and kind of get, kind of backtrack on some of that thinking and kind of talk through their thoughts and our thoughts. But parents have to draw the line and that's one of the hard things of parenting.

Track 1: 47:10

It is, and I think it ultimately falls with having this open communication with your partner, if you have a partner in terms of what their values are, your values are. I know that I, I know couples who have two very Different political views and I'm like, oh, how do you navigate that? And especially when parenting comes into play.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 47:34

Yeah.

Track 1: 47:35

it, it must be difficult, but I think that we shouldn't ignore those issues, especially when kids have questions. And I really love that you talked about how, you know, we should take the time and answer their questions because they are curious. And the way that, you know, that I grew up was, we were kind of like the bystanders. We just didn't talk. We just, we were silent. We didn't speak up for injustice if we noticed it, even though we knew that something was off. And I don't want that for my kids at least. And I think it starts as early as when they talk and, and have a conversation with you and in regards to this, about having relationships with people that perhaps have different political views or just different, you know, viewpoints. Yeah, I, I think it's important for them to also be exposed and because there is a world out there that unfortunately isn't nice, you know, that perhaps they don't have similar values as you. And so how will you navigate that? And I specifically think in college, for me, college was something so different that I then came to realize like, oh, there's people that are literally racist and, and how do you navigate that? Right.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 48:57

Mm-hmm. And I had a thought about that. It's like, along with, you know, being able to take space in these classrooms, learning about how like our voices have been tactically, you know, quieted throughout generations. And that's why we don't have these big conversations is because our power has been very limited as, as a people, you know, and that has like ties rooted in like police violence and immigration status and, you know, whatever have you, that we felt like we couldn't have an opinion, you know, or there was gonna be Some kind of issue, whether like imprisonment or being beaten or lynched or deported or, you know, so I think it's so incredibly important to teach our children to have a voice and amplify their voices and their thoughts. And, and that's why it's so important to let them ask those questions so that they can start to develop this, this really deep way of thinking, strategic way of thinking, so that they can amplify their voice and be confident in their, their opinion about the world. Because

Track 1: 50:07

Well, I didn't prepare you for this, but I asked Viva La Madre hood questions that I asked my guests, so it'll just be two. And so what is the meaning of Mahood

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 50:20

me, motherhood has been like an opportunity to contribute to future adults, to society, and man, that's a lot of responsibility.

Track 1: 50:33

Hmm.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 50:34

on a day-to-day basis, we're just trying to like get through the day Sometimes we're trying to like make sure they're fed and make sure they're cleaned to make sure their teeth are brushed and they go to their appointments and they go to school on time. It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day like hecticness that I need to have those moments where I just take a step back and realize again, like, what am I doing as a mother? I'm raising two children so that when they go off into their adult journey, they feel competent enough to take care of themselves and to take care of others. too. That's something that's very important to us as you've seen in this discussion, is like raising children that are thoughtful about the world they live in, and it's not just all about themselves.

Track 1: 51:25

Thank you for sharing that. And what is one tip of advice you have for Latina mommies?

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 51:31

Oh man, don't underestimate yourselves. I had the worst imposter syndrome as a college student in my undergrad, and then something just like switched in my grad school where I'm just like, no more, like, no more. I have this incredible like resume and so much wonderful experience and I need to pat myself on the back more because that imposter syndrome will set in and will limit your vision for yourself and will limit your opportunity because you will not engage. I have to reflect back and give myself kudos and praise for what I've been able to accomplish in my own lifetime. And doing it as a mother to boot, like, that's really freaking hard. And like, I need to give myself a little bit of recognition for that because I deserve the space that I'm taking in my classrooms and this program at my job. Like people don't just give you these opportunities just kind of out, out of thin air, you know? And I have to continually like, reflect and praise myself because otherwise I will just limit myself to like this little bubble because I feel like I'm not deserving and I'm kind of over that, that portion of my life knowing I am deserving

Track 1: 52:54

Oh, I love it. It's, It's great to claim your accomplishments and all that you've done. And oftentimes in our community, we tend to be very humble. Like we're so humbling to everything and everyone, and it's like, no. Like we also have to be able to just like believe in ourselves, but know that the work that we do is for a purpose and be proud of the work that we do and claim it and amplify it. Yeah. And just be confident, I think. So I appreciate all the work that you do. I appreciate you being here and telling our listeners a little bit more about social justice minded children. caN you share where people can follow you or? That way we get to you through this whole process.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 53:45

Oh, I appreciate that. So I'm on LinkedIn. If you wanna know more about the Obama Foundation Scholars, the program, kind of get like a sneak peek on my life. You know, what conferences I'm attending, who I'm getting to meet just Samantha Sears on LinkedIn.. Uh, Sears is s i e r s.

Track 1: 54:04

Well, Samantha, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it and you sharing your story and your wisdom about how to raise social justice minded children. I think this was much needed, and I wish you the best of luck. Enjoy your time, as an Obama scholar. I love that Obama knows you and knows the work that you do because it is something that is much needed in the community. So thank you.

samantha-siers--she-her-_1_10-04-2023_214025: 54:30

I appreciated that. Thank you so much. I know still over the moon about it.

54:35

Mujer, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to the podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, will you do me a favor and follow the podcast and leave a rating and review? Hitting that follow button and reviewing my show will allow other mamis like you find this podcast. Your review will also tell me if you enjoy the show, so I would truly appreciate your thoughts. Don't forget, please share this podcast con tus amigas. Also, make sure to follow me at Viva La Mami on Instagram or visit VivaLaMami. com. Please note the information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Okay mujer, thank you for joining y nos vemos in the next episode.