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Do you teach your children...

post #1 of 10
8/25/06 at 6:25pm
Thread Starter 
Do you teach your children to be compassionate to others that are different from them?

Do you teach them to befriend others that are different from them?

It is important that we teach our children to be compassionate -- to be kind to children who are different... instead of making things harder for them.

Do you explain to your kids why showing compassion toward others is the right thing to do?
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post #2 of 10
8/25/06 at 6:53pm
Yes, yes & YES!

All 3 kids have been subjected to ridicule by other kids at some point due to their speech issues. Because of that, they tend to migrate towards other kids that may be "different". It just makes me smile to see Cody take up for the little kid that is being picked on or TJ striking up a conversation with the kid that is playing by themself.

I think it's very important to teach them at an early age that everyone is different, but that doesn't make anyone less special.
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post #3 of 10
8/25/06 at 8:14pm
Yes I do my best at least. Alyssa will play and talk with anyone who will acknowledge her so it hasn't really been an issue. She is very observant though and will ask questions about why this or that and I just explain it as honestly as I can. She's smart and will sometimes tell me why someone is how they are. (not that I care we are are people)
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post #4 of 10
8/25/06 at 8:33pm
i try as much as possible... we haven't encountered much so far. but i expect him to treat everyone equal.

actually, we have a friend that has downs syndrome so that is probably a great lesson for him.
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post #5 of 10
8/25/06 at 11:50pm
I guess I do. My kids don't seem to see differences in other kids. There was a little boy in a wheelchair and I asked Duncan what he saw when he looked at the boy (did not mention the chair.) He described his clothes, his hat, his backpack, but never said a word about the chair. I said is that all you see. and he said.. well.. a boy. LOL. Duncan and Logan also don't describe their friends as being black or white or hispanic or asian. So.. I do my best and I think I am doing a pretty good job. They do know that there are children out there with special needs, but that they are still children. And sometimes they have to play a bit gentler or talk a bit slower, but they are just kids just like themselves.
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post #6 of 10
8/26/06 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 
to all 4 of you ladies.

When I ask her to look at some one I dont say the asian or black I say the girl in the green skirt or something around that factor. We have a friend who's son is in a wheel chair and they talk to him and treat him no different.
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post #7 of 10
8/26/06 at 8:32pm
I try not to point out differences in people, so I don't teach them to act a certain way to people different than them. The rule is you treat everyone how you want to be treated. So far they are doing very well. I don't think they have ever said anything in reference to someones color, and we know people with special needs and the kids don't even seem to noice.
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post #8 of 10
8/26/06 at 11:01pm
I've tried to teach Joey to see people not based on things they have no control over (such as skin color, disability, etc), but the things they do have control ove, i.e., "That boy is polite" or "That girl is mean". I have told him before it doesn't matter what a person looks like, but how that person acts, and you should never think badly of someone because of something over which they have no control or cannot change. He seems to understand, I think.
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post #9 of 10
8/26/06 at 11:12pm
We try with Brianna, the twins are a little young to understand. Jay's cousin's son has Tourette's and she doesn't treat him any different. We also have a book that I read to her that explains that people are different and that you don't treat them any different.
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post #10 of 10
8/26/06 at 11:25pm
Yes. Good question Jannie!

I send Zach to a nursery school where there are children of all different races and backgrounds. He's in the city where I work which is much more diverse than the city we live in. I think it's good for him to build this foundation with diversity when he's young.
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