Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and other beloved programs have been filling our homes with delightfully diverse characters for years. It’s a wonderful introduction to the diversity that awaits us out in the world, and something we try to celebrate every day at Lightbridge Academy.
In preschool, children begin exploring people and places beyond the family unit, and your encouragement can boost their confidence. If they shy away, don’t feel bad. Children naturally organize things into colors, shapes, or sizes, and may try categorizing people in the same way until they understand how to go about it. Learning to mix and mingle with all sorts of people is just that – a learning experience.
Sometimes, children point out differences quite publically, but that’s just their curiosity at work. Instead of trying to cover it up, acknowledge the observation by saying “Yes, she does look a little different than you. And you must look different to her. That’s what makes us all unique” or “We do look different on the outside, but inside we’re all the same.”
As the world becomes more connected, learning about different cultures and customs can be a lifelong process, even for adults. As your little one navigates the journey in these first few years of life, we have a few tips to help you along:
- Invite diversity into your home, enjoying Mexican music and food one night, Greek, Chinese, or Indian next month.
- Take note of similarities you see, such as a boy reading your daughter’s favorite book or a girl wearing your son’s favorite color, so they may look for commonalities in others.
- Borrow picture books from the library that depict all types of people, places, cultures, and traditions.
- Pop CDs in the car with music from around the world, asking your child how these tunes from exciting new places make them feel.
- Be patient, but remind your child that words can hurt so teach them to use respectful language when describing differences in others.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Simply correct yourself if you misspeak, showing your child how easy it is to make things right.
Our “Circle of Care” philosophy was created so that everyone at Lightbridge Academy feels accepted and appreciated. We embrace and celebrate the differences in every child, and encourage classmates to do the same.
A few books on this topic that you may enjoy include:
Noelle the Bulldog by Gloria Estefan
David’s Drawings by Cathryn Falwell
Jack & Jim by Kitty Crowther
What ideas can you share with other parents about welcoming diversity into your world?”
