Teaching Children About Diversity Is Easier Than You May Think.

by Diversity in Toys Diversity in Toys

As parents, we must always teach kids to respect all cultures. Kids ideally start noticing a difference at a very young age. It can sometimes land parents in a very awkward situation. Questions like "mom, why does he look like that?" are common among kids. A parent's natural reaction to such questions is to silence their kids and change the topic as quickly as possible. Today's article will discuss five easy and fun activities that can help you teach kids about cultural diversity.

As grown-ups, we have learned that asking such questions in public may potentially offend someone. However, young kids have yet to be conditioned socially to understand this concept. Whenever your kids ask such questions, you must seize the opportunity to help them understand and respect ethnic and cultural differences.

However, if you wish to avoid such awkward instances successfully, we suggest you introduce your child to diversity toys early. With the help of these toys, you can provide your kids with objective facts that help them understand why such differences exist.

Use Appropriate Resources

When introducing cultural differences, you need to use the right resources. Besides adding ethnic toys, we suggest you add a few books that help you teach the topics of cultural diversity. You can also encourage your kids to watch movies and cartoons introducing a new geographical location and culture. Some examples would be the lion king, Mowgli, Aladdin, etc.

Celebrate All Cultural Holidays

The easiest and most fun way to engage with individuals from different ethnicities is to share all holiday celebrations. During these periods, your kids might have classmates who celebrate these traditions, making it an ideal time to teach them about them.

There are fundamental questions that can help your kids gain a deeper understanding of other cultures and traditions. How did the celebration originate? Why do they celebrate it?

Cultural Etiquettes

Learning etiquettes of different cultures can help your children develop a greater understanding and awareness of differences. It will help them realize that what seems normal to them might not be perceived as usual by someone else, and vice versa.

A few critical questions you must ask are why they exist and how people respond if they are ignored. For instance, finger-pointing is considered rude in Thailand and is a big No-No. Familiarizing your children with such cultural etiquette can be a tremendously enlightening experience for them.

As people of society, it's our responsibility to ensure equality amongst all people, starting with our children and family members. Remember, it's always better when parents begin educating their children on topics like culture, race, and ethnicity at an early age. This way, it will be easier for their children to step into the real world and be good humans without even trying.

Your child will mirror your behavior. It means by showing them you are tolerant, open, and always respectful to other cultures and nationalities, they will surely grow up to be culturally sensitive adults who can see the uniqueness in each individual, as opposed to differences.