We’re all incredibly unique individuals—and that’s what makes our world beautiful. We can celebrate this diversity by having important talks with our children about the different ways others may look, act, believe, or experience our world. And within those conversations, we can highlight that our differences can bring us closer together, not further apart.
Differences can include the color of our skin, levels of physical or mental abilities, our speech, the way we look, what we eat, and other cultural differences. As your child begins to notice the community and world around them, they may ask questions. To help you facilitate these conversations, we’re sharing a few ways to discuss and explore the concept of diversity with your child.
How to Discuss Diversity with Your Child
Talk openly about what makes others different.
It’s important to let your child know that it’s okay to notice differences in others and to ask questions. What we want to reinforce overall is to treat everyone you meet with respect and empathy—regardless of what sets you apart.
When your child notices differences, you can encourage further conversations by asking him or her questions, such as:
- Why do you think that person talks differently than you?
- What would say if someone was making fun of that person for being different?
- How do you think they want to be treated?
Teach empathy and respect.
Empathy and respect play a key role in conversations about diversity because it teaches our kids to consider what others are thinking and feeling before they interact. We can instill these principles in our children through leading by example, showing them what it means to live by those values. It is also crucial to talk to your child about certain disrespectful words or phrases that might hurt others’ feelings or make them feel excluded or inferior, even when it’s unintentional.
Discussing the similarities.
When we talk about our differences, it’s helpful that we also talk about our similarities. Though we’re all different, we can always work to find common ground—even when those similarities are as simple as what makes us smile, a shared favorite book, or playtime activity.
How to Help Your Child Explore Diversity
Common Sense Media is a great resource to find movies, TV shows, and books that teach positive values and showcase diverse characters. This website provides in-depth reviews of each item that rates categories, such as positive messages, positive role models, and educational value. Choosing media that represents characters that are different from your child can be a great way to introduce them to situations they aren’t familiar with or don’t regularly come in contact with.
Here are a few of our favorites:
- The Day You Begin by Jan Carr is a heartwarming book about finding the courage to reach out to others, even when you feel like you are alone or different.
- Disney’s Tangled is a kid-favorite that sends several positive messages, including the importance of empathy, honesty, and friendship.
- Sesame Street is a classic children’s show that shows diverse characters and highlights a wide range of social topics, such as self-confidence, acceptance, and diversity.
- Arthur is another classic children’s show that teaches positive social lessons, including empathy, friendship, and breaking stereotypes.
- Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music is a beautifully illustrated book that is based on the true story of a female drummer in Cuba. It shows diverse characters and sends several powerful messages.
Having the Difficult Conversations
Having difficult conversations about diversity gives our children the vocabulary and emotional intelligence that they need to develop and express their thoughts and feelings. When we shy away from conversations, we send the message that talking about our differences is taboo.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) echoes this sentiment: “When adults are silent or vague about things that children are seeing and trying to understand, children absorb the emotional message that the subject is not okay to talk about. This leaves children with an undercurrent of anxiety and unease, which are the earliest lessons about bias and fear.”
It’s important to let your child know that they can talk openly about what makes each of us unique—so that we can all learn how to respect and empathize with one another.
A Place that Celebrates Differences
With schools in six states, The Gardner School is rich in diversity, and it’s something that we celebrate. When on the search for the best preschool for your child, you’ll find diversity is something that makes The Gardner School special. Contact us today to learn more or to speak with a staff member about scheduling a future tour at The Gardner School nearest you!