This is NPR's Life Kit, I'm Odi Cornish.

The rise in anti-Asian hate incidents or the past year,

it's prompted this call for Americans to talk about racism and discrimination with their friends and parents and their kids.

And these are conversations made even more difficult and, frankly, more urgent after shootings earlier this month in Atlanta.

Now, if you're looking for ways into those conversations, our next two guests may be able to help.

Nicole Chang is an author and advice columnist for Slate.

Christine Coe is a neuroscientist and co-authored a book on parenting.

And we spoke with them for NPR's All Things Considerate.

We wanted to share our conversation with life kits listeners, so here it is.

Nicole, I was hoping to start with you because you write an advice column at Slate.

What are two tips you would give to parents who want to start a dialogue around these issues, racism or discrimination or inclusivity?

One thing I do is like, harken back to past conversations.

I'm always saying, remember when we talked about this, this particular issue, something else has happened.

I want to talk to you about it.

This is related to this other thing that we talked about, so that they're always, I'm trying to teach them to make those connections themselves.

And the other big thing is just to ask them what they have noticed, what they have experienced.

Have they witnessed at school or out in the world?

Have they seen things that maybe we as their parents haven't been present for or have missed something that stuck in their mind?

I mean, I've been really surprised sometimes by all the things my kids have encountered when they're not with me, sometimes at school.

And then those are also really good starting points for conversation.

I would say that my two recommendations, one, we're going to be having so many of these conversations.

I think parents get very afraid when they don't have the answers.

...