Diversity?

[AmandaKDT]

In my daycare, I've just chosen not to focus on race in any specific way. We all are the way we all are....that's it. I have one little boy who is Cuban/Italian and a little girl who is Chinese/Thai. The only ways we acknowledge our differences are when a child brings in something (particularly over holidays) to share with the group. I will also introduce other customs into the daycare from other cultures. We don't tend to focus on starving children, rather the things in another culture that show that we all like to celebrate. Just like families, we all have our own traditions. If it involves food, especially, it is a big hit and very well received by the kids.

I honestly didn't think the kids were really even noticing differences between their appearances, but I was wrong (except at diaper changes....a WHOLE other kettle of fish). My nephew comes here and his mum told me they were looking in a book. He saw a picture of a little Chinese boy and said 'he looks like ****' and the little Caucasian boy looked like him. And that was it....no questions....it just was. I thought it was very cute and I was happy to hear that. MUCH cuter and less embarrassing than when my daughter, at 3 yrs selected, loudly, in the crowded department store, the 'cholocolate Berbie'......wanted the earth to swallow me whole

You had me laughing out loud at that last part about the Barbie, too funny!

I have a bit older crew and it has come up on a regular basis about the differences in skin colour and stuff. So when it comes up I take advantage of the opportunity and talk matter of factly about how our skin is different colours and we compare. I think when young kids get exposed to it and have the opportunity to talk about it you would be surprised how much they notice.

There is a really good picture book called 'Colour of Us', that is all about describing the skin colour of different people in a little girl's neighbourhood because she realizes that when she tries to paint pictures of everyone that she can't just use one shade of beige or brown.