Parenting resources for all who love and care for children
ChildrenThe current political climate in our country continues to challenge families with how to teach their children about cultural sensitivity. Some children love having friends with different backgrounds and cultures. Others have little exposure playing with diverse populations of children. Still, other children are from families who are afraid of (or do not wish to interact with) other ethnic groups or cultures. [Read more…]
Family Community ServiceChildren thrive when they have important roles and responsibilities in their home, school, and community. The holiday season is a perfect opportunity for children to create or support a program that serves the needs of various cultural communities around the world. Kids can develop empathy and respect for diverse cultural communities while supporting their schools and communities with their families. Many schools sponsor clothing drives, gift collections, food collections, and emergency support programs for those affected from natural disasters. As part of their learning, students can learn about another country and culture as they participate in a cultural experience of community service. [Read more…]
In this season of Thanksgiving, many of us meet with friends and family to celebrate our blessings. When reflecting on our culturally diverse friendships, the GenParenting bloggers have previously published blogs on how we can raise culturally sensitive children by modeling acceptance, sharing interests, participating in interfaith events, and partnering in community services and school activities. We have shared thoughtful experiences of how our children have shared their American culture with children from other countries. And we have celebrated various heritages at diversity events per the calendar of events at www.diversitycentral.com. [Read more…]
During 4th of July celebrations, we typically discuss the diversity and cultural sensitivity of our nation’s population. Through these discussions, I have learned:
Each day our children are exposed to incidents of teasing, criticizing, and belittling. How children respond to these subtle, but destructive statements, can make a huge difference in their daily 
experiences at school. For example, one child may tease another at lunch about what he is eating. It may be that the child has food allergies and cannot eat certain foods. In another situation, a child may be eating foods that are unique to a culture. Regardless of the reason, children must learn to respect the individual differences of their classmates. Most schools focus on teaching children how to get along with others. Many schools grade children on their behavior with their classmates and their teacher. In California, schools have established strict guidelines on how students are to report bullying incidents to their teacher and school personnel. [Read more…]
