About one week ago, I was in Walmart and I saw a woman riding one of the carts. When the woman passed a man and his son, the young boy said, "Daddy, that woman is too fat to walk." The father appeared embarassed and told the son to stop saying that. This was not the right way to handle this situation.
In early childhood education, children are very open and honest about their comments and views of the world. The woman was obese and could not walk around the store. However, the child did not understand that the woman was disabled. In teh early childhood classroom, I would inform the child and other children that it is not nice to tease or meddle people who are different. I would further explain that some people are disabled and that when they see a person who disabled, they should not point out the difference. The child in the store did not realize that his comment hurt the woman's feelings. Therefore, parents and educators have to work together to teach children the proper way to address people in public. Children need to understand and accept diversity, and they must be taught to respect others.
Hi Tammy,
ReplyDeleteInstead of hushing the child the parent should have talked to the child about how we all have differences. People can be in all shapes and sizes, and we possibly talk about different ability levels of other people. Some people cannot walk because their legs do not allow them to. Children need to be exposed to anti-bias explanations to help them understand about other people's differences.
Luci
Tammy,
ReplyDeleteGood illustration! Meltz (2001) had a good take on that situation: preschoolers enjoy categorizing (fat, short, tall etc.) and so making the statement did not attach any judgement of good or bad - it was just making an observation. But, as soon as we hush it down the child associates something bad, scary or wrong with the situation. Noticing differences is ok as long as it is done in a respectful and honoring manner. Yes, using age appropriate words to explain that people come in all sizes and an explanation of why she was on a scooter or cart would have supported the diversity rather than shaming it.
Meltz, B. (2001, Novermber 22). Teahings on diversity, tolerance should start early preschoolers can learn it's ok to notice our differences: [Third Edition]. Boston Globe H4. Retrieved from ProQuest database.
Tammy,
ReplyDeleteIt is so important that we teach young children to be appreciative and accepting of others differences. Listening to what young children have to say and responding to them on a level they can understand is beneficial when creating a anti-bias learning environment. Thank you for sharing.
Crystal