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It takes lots of different kinds of people to keep our world running; people with different skills and jobs, people who look and think differently, and people with different abilities. Diversity is a buzzword we tend to throw around a lot, but all it means is acknowledging that the world is full of lots of different people who do lots of different things, and look different from us, and live lives differently than we do.
One of the saddest things about our world today is when people look at diversity as a threat, rather than a beautiful and miraculous gift. As parents it’s our job to prepare our kids for the real world, and that means exposing them in an age appropriate way to the different kinds of people they’ll meet throughout their lives. If we don’t teach our kids early that not everyone looks, thinks, acts, believes, or lives like us, we leave room for confusion, a lack of empathy, and fear. That may sound extreme, but you hardly have to turn on a news station so see all the ways people vilify “the other.”
The reality is, the world isn’t going to get less diverse. That’s an unrealistic expectation and if we hand that to our children, we’re setting them up for failure as adults. So we’ve collected a bunch of resources to help you and your family learn all about diversity, what it means, why it’s important, and why it might just be key to a better world for us all!
Start the conversation
Let’s be really honest for a moment; kids can say some awful and shocking things. We’re sure we all have a horror story of a time our kids (or maybe even ourselves as kids) asked an incredibly rude question of someone about a disability or even their skin color. And we know that for most of these children, the question isn’t intended as rude or “othering.” Kids are innately curious! And that curiosity is a huge gift that should never be squashed. But that makes it even more important that you the parent start the conversation about diversity with your kiddos.
We should be the safest place for kids to ask questions, but we should also introduce them to aspects of the world in their safest environment: their home. By introducing your kids to diversity at home, you can avoid the pointed fingers, stares, and unintentionally invasive questions altogether! Your kids are going to naturally notice the differences in the people around them, so rather than pretending they don’t, lead the conversation for their benefit.
Celebrate What Makes You Unique
A great place to start educating your children about diversity is by highlighting what makes your family special. Do you have a cultural practice or religious holiday that is special in your family? Celebrate the heck out of it! This is especially helpful as Resource Parents! When welcoming a new child into your home, helping them learn about your family’s cultural practices will expose them to a whole new world, in a safe environment (even if they don’t want to participate!)
In turn, learn about their heritage, or family customs, or one of their loved one’s special needs. Ask them to teach you about the beautiful ways they’re different and help them celebrate those things. When we teach our kids that their differences are worth celebrating, they’ll find it much easier to celebrate the differences of the people around them!
Don’t Pretend You’ve Got All The Answers
There’s the tendency as adults to appear like we have it all together, and a lot of times that means we pretend to have the answers to a question that we don’t. We can use this against kids the most, taking advantage of their innocence But as parents, or adults who want to help kids grow, ask questions, and think critically, pretending to know the answer to something is the least helpful thing you can do.
It’s ok to tell your kids that you don’t know. It’s even better if you help your kids find the answer together. This might mean having a big, somewhat uncomfortable conversation with someone you both trust, it might mean, doing some internet research together and reading lots of different perspectives, and vetting opinions, it might mean thinking about the question and following up a few days later. Regardless of how you go about to find the answers to the questions your kids ask, bringing them into the discovery process will help teach them critical thinking skills, and that it’s ok to be an adult who doesn’t have all the answers.
Show, Don’t Tell
Kids aren’t always great at doing what we tell them to do! But they’re great at mimicking behavior they see! If acceptance and embracing diversity is important to you, model that for your kids. This is going to normalize the behavior you want them to exhibit! While you want your kids to feel safe asking you questions, model the appropriate time and place to ask those questions.
The broader aspect of showing them a diverse world is to literally show them how diverse the world is! Expose your kids to different kinds of people from different backgrounds who live differently than you do. Show that that “different” isn’t the same as “unsafe,” by allowing them to meet real people with diverse worlds. A great starting point is introducing books, tv shows, or films on diversity in your home. Help your kids learn through story (one of the most effective ways of learning!) that our wide and diverse world is a beautiful thing!
Work for a Cause
The reality is that there are a lot of people out there who don’t look, think, or live like us, who are at a huge disadvantage. Whether it’s due to illness, disability, inequality, inequity, or systematic oppression, real people in our communities have to actively fight to be heard, represented, or cared for. The biggest gift we can give our kids is to teach them to help others who aren’t like them.
Beyond the lessons of gratitude or giving-back, working for a cause that doesn’t affect them teaches our kids to be selfless and sacrificial. Choosing a cause to support as a family will expose your kids to real life people to love and learn from and that will have the biggest impact on their view of the world for the rest of their lives.
The world is so wide and varied and beautiful, and so are people! We hope this guide helps you and your family celebrate how wonderfully different we all are!
