Halloween parties

[Sandbox Sally]

mama, good question! I would carry on the same way whether I had someone like this in my care or not. My house, my rules. That being said, it's not that I am ethnocentric, it's that I am willing to celebrate ANY special holiday or observance of any dck in my care, and I would expect all the kids to participate. It is my personal feeling that this should be extended to public elementary schools too, and I honestly don't understand why it isn't. For example, how does it hurt a Jewish child to sing a Christmas song at a holiday pageant? I observed this first hand at my own kids' school in recent years, where some of the children would leave the room, or hop down off stage when the Christmas songs were presented. I love that my kids are exposed to other customs and cultures in their school! Christian children are expected to sing and participate in Kwaanza and Chanukah activities - why no reciprocity? I think teaching diversity and acceptance at an early age is a good thing, and I would explain this to the parents. PHEW! That was a bit of a rant. I'll jump down off my soapbox now.

If parents were not comfortable with the way I handle holidays, I would invite them to keep their child home that day. This way, they still have an option to exclude their child from festivities. Being self employed has its perks, huh?

ETA: In my contract, I actually have a paragraph inviting families to help us learn any and all customs, celebrations or different ways of life than our own.