In this post I will talk about the empathy that we must promote in our little ones towards DIVERSITY.
As we well know, and I am glad that's the case, we are millions and millions of people who have different skin tones, people who have that "Divine Grace" as I call it, for having a darker or much, much lighter skin tone than what they have put into our heads as "NORMAL".
By the way, I don't consider this word one of my favorites...
I'll proceed:
There is nothing more wonderful than genetic variability. There is no individual equal to another, we are unique living and sharing the same home (our planet Earth) with many others. Different color and shape of eyes, different kinds of hair and physical constitutions, different cultures... Different overall... and this is what's wonderful about each human being, we are all diverse. How good are diversity and integration! If we were all the same, what a bummer of a world! Woulnd't it be? Also, we wouldn't be able to recognize each other!
That's how diverse and individual we all are...!
Unfortunately, today there still are signs of intolerance and rejection towards people who by genetic inheritance have a darker or lighter skin tone. A rejection that should not continue to be allowed.
School-age children continually ask questions about themselves and the people around them as they are able to put into perspective the cultural and ethnic differences. They can learn to appreciate (or despise) the traits that make others different. In other words, it is the best time for parents to build their behaviours towards cultural and ethnic diversity. The beautiful thing about children is that most of them are born with a natural sense of justice and fairness, unless they are taught to be hurtful and cruel, children know that it is wrong to attack others, either physically or verbally.
And how do we make this task easier?
It is important to nurture our children's natural love for people. It may not be necessary to teach tolerance, but it is important to talk about it. Another important subject is analyzing our own attitude towards this issue: If you feel uncomfortable around people from different backgrounds, your child will pick up on it. Think about how you talk about people. Start with yourself to be able to set a healthy example. Good communication and chstting about the subject makes our kids feel confident to express what they think. Also we can rely on toys or educational stories, giving them the possibility through them and a healthy game to learn to accept people regardless of their physical condition, features or simply their skin tone. For example, there is a wide variety of AFRO rag dolls, a unique and educational gift to make boys and girls live and share naturally that we are all different beyond our physical conditions or where we come from. That the important thing is the affective principles and values that we can give and receive from people.
From Barcelonines, one of our main ideals is that, through our toys, we try to become better people in every way and the fact of being able to offer them makes us happy: being part of the solution with the help of our toys and thus improve thinking and attitudes towards ourselves, and of course, towards everyone around us. Although schools and cities tend to become more diverse every day, there is no doubt that we still have a long way to go. Never stop talking to your kids about diversity, encouraging their questions, and fostering an environment that accepts and celebrates everyone's differences.
I'll write down a small list of wonderful stories to work on DIVERSITY with our little ones. Lean on healthy toys, there is a wide variety that are specialized in the subject.
I hope with all my heart that you liked and found this post useful. Let me know with a comment.
Until next time!
And long live cultural and ethnic diversity!
1. Cyril the crocodile. Author: Almudena Taboada
2. Butterfly ears. Authors: Luisa Aguilar and André Lleves
3. All but one Author: Eric Battut
4. Pink Monster. Author: Olga de Dios
5. For four little corners of nothing. Author: Jerome Ruillier
6. A strange bug. Authors: Mon Daporta and Oscar Villán
7. Lorenzo's saucepan. Author: Isabelle Carrier