Diversity in Early Childhood Edcuation- Goals for the Future

It is my hope that early childhood professionals would learn to value differences when working with young children, families and colleagues.  Working in the world in which we live today, differences are actually the most common element of our work.  Instead of fearing or judging these differences we need to embrace them as part of the world in which we live.  Difference does not mean "deficit" or "wrong"; it simply means that it is beyond what may be common for us.  However, we need to also consider that what may be different for one of us, may be common and normal for another.  Working with differences pushes us out of our comfort zones...but it is through this experience that we learn and grow not only as early childhood professionals but as human beings.  So this is my goal for the early childhood field-  lets value each person for their uniqueness and lets teach our young children to be open minded and respectful of differences so that we can create a future in which diversity will actually seem common and not "different". 


A note of thanks:   Thank you to my classmates.  It has been a pleasure getting to know you this semester through blogs and discussions.  You have taught me a lot about diversity and helped me to grow both as an early childhood professional and as person.  I wish you all the best and look forward to future classes together.  Thank you Dr. Sheri for your support and for feedback throughout this journey over the last eight weeks which encouraged me to step beyond my own comfort zone and helped me to gain a true appreciation for diversity. 

Welcoming Families from Around the World

Imagine that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon.  How would you prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family?

For the purpose of this scenario, I am going to imagine a family from Russia.  
First I think that it is important to have materials (handbook, program information, etc) that are in the primary language of the family.  I would also learn some of the families language so that I could communicate with the child and family even though it may be limited.
Second, I would arrange the learning environment so that it represents all of the cultures of the children in the class including items from their cultures. 
Third, I would welcome the family into the group for an enrollment visit and get to know the family and their beliefs and values as much as possible.  I would ask the family to provide me with information about their child and family. 
Forth, once enrolled I would incorporate the child and families' information into how I work with the child and family, to make their experience in the program relevant to them.
Fifth, I would make sure that I watch for any issues of bias and prejudice, addressing any issues immediately to resolve them.
 Being prepared for any family to enter an early childhood classroom will help the children and the family transition into the program and help them feel at ease. It will also help me to meet the needs of this child and family and form the relationships that are so important in the early learning environment.

Banning Children from Restaurants...A Recent Example of Ageism

The Today Show reported this week that more and more restaurants are jumping on the bandwagon to ban children from their restaurants...citing recent restaurants that have established "child free policies".   This follows similar reports on major news networks and newspapers in the past few months about restaurants across the country banning children  up to the age of 18.  In a poll on facebook, the Today Show asked "Would you be likely to frequent a restaurant in an evening that banned kids?" (http://on.today.com/14CsRQF).  Comments to this poll spanned both sides of the issue from people who eagerly welcome a restaurant environment that is free of "crying, whining and loud" children to those who stand in support of children's rights and remind others that on occasion parents need to eat something other than fastfood.  But there is a much bigger issue behind this report.  Is this another instance of discrimination in our country? Are children just the latest on the list of groups to feel the rejection of institutionalized discrimination?  The old saying "Children should be seen and not heard"...echoed through my mind as I read this story. 

My reaction:  The parent of two young children and an Early Childhood Professional, I feel that I must advocate for children and families in this instance.  I have taken my children to many restaurants at all times of the day and sometimes later than 7 pm because of family outings.  I can remember one instance when we were eating at the Olive Garden in Altoona, PA.  We were seated close to a couple who was obviously on a "date".   The couple quietly talked with each other, and held hands as they ate.  After they finished eating they walked up to our table and expressed how they enjoyed watching our family eat.   The couple was very nice and we took it as a compliment, but it also reminded me of how our family, in particular our children, are watched and judged by others when we are eating out.  As working parents, my husband and I enjoy spending our free time with our kids and that includes eating out on Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday.  I can't imagine going to a restaurant on a regular basis without them.  At other times, I've noticed that in some restaurants we have visited that all of the families with kids are seated in the same area of the restaurant all together and away from other patrons.

Do we forget in our society that children are people too?  They have rights just the same as any other person.  As Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, stated     
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."  The question I would pose is...what does banning children from restaurants say about our society? 
Another quote, one by Dr Suess,  reminds us ""A person's a person, no matter how small." 
So until we as a society recognize that children have certain rights, and understand more about child development, then children will not receive equitable treatment.   

Just a little something extra...