There are many moments when I despair for our children's welfare at the hands of carers who genuinely think they're doing the right thing.
Carers who do actually care- rather than just turning up, taking their money and going home- tend to be passionate people. Sadly, thanks to the appalling wages offered in child care, they're not always particularly well-educated or widely experienced people. Passion and selective ignorance can be a volatile combination- a little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing.
I came across just such a combination this week, and I can see that I'm going to have a hard time explaining to at least one group of passionate (but narrowly experienced and educated) carers that they're about to do a grave disservice to the bright and gifted children in their room. It's unintentional prejudice, but it's prejudice just the same.
Advice and observations from a qualified carer and educator to help parents and childcare professionals maintain a loving, respectful relationship with their children.
Showing posts with label prejudice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prejudice. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A prejudice-busting story for Valentine's Day
I've been asked to write a kids' story for Valentine's Day that's more inclusive than the usual boy-meets-girl style.... so here it is. Feel free to copy, print and read to your kids. And thanks to the brilliant free site http://classroomclipart.com for the ready-made illustrations.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Prejudice in preschoolers: talking about different types of families
Children can be very cruel. Even at 4 years of age, children notice and comment on differences- sometimes innocently but occasionally with intent to bruise. Whether it's a man on the street who 'walks funny' or a peer with a different family structure, children who are seeking a position at the top of the kids' pecking order will often see this 'oddity' as an opportunity for misguided sport.
It's particularly difficult to explain sexual preferences to a young child. One year I had contact with a preschool group which contained two children with alternate family structures- one with lesbian parents and one with a transsexual parent- and the same group was rich with alpha male children who decided to use these children's differences for target practice.
It's particularly difficult to explain sexual preferences to a young child. One year I had contact with a preschool group which contained two children with alternate family structures- one with lesbian parents and one with a transsexual parent- and the same group was rich with alpha male children who decided to use these children's differences for target practice.
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