Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Be the Change You Wish To See in the World.
Lately, posts from Parenting Guru have focused on role modeling, using your New Year’s resolution to set a better example for your children (and their friends). As we evaluate our old behaviors and create new ones, it is important to show our children this process.
Martin Luther King Day is a great opportunity to show our children how society evolves with their way of thinking and behavior. It is natural for children to notice the many differences in others, but as parents, our job is to help children find the positive in the differences. In America, we have the opportunity to work/go to school/live in a melting pot of diversity. It is important to have an attitude of openness and respect for the differences that exist among our community. Having that open conversation with your child/ren builds emotional maturity to also accept change and evolve. This creates tolerance, and resiliency.
Here are some tips on building respect of differences:
- Recognize your own attitude. We are human and adapting to change as well. Our children can be witness to the change within ourselves.
- Kids are always listening. That saying that children are sponges is so true. As parents we are role modeling life skills. Show kindness and compassion, with the hopes that the children are watching and learning.
- Be mindful of the media sources and what message they are portraying. How is the show or video encouraging tolerance and respect? Does it stereotype gender roles? Is there a balance of inclusion?
- Start teaching about differences and respect within the family. Each member of the family has a different temperament to change, environments, activities. Having open conversations about those differences builds tolerance. For example, a family has one autistic child. The sibling shows so much compassion and patience for the autistic sibling. It’s heartwarming.
- Make sure the child feels good about their differences. For example, a little boy is the smallest in his class and constantly is teased about his height. His parent, coaches, and village encourage him that being small is an advantage. He is tiny and mighty. Now he recognizes the teasing from the kids as an insecurity of their own. His confidence outweighs their negativity.
There are plenty of games you can play with your kids. One of my favorites is Same and Different. Show your kids pictures (one at a time) of people in their culture, environment, lifestyle. By asking the kids the open-ended question: What is the same? And what is different? This is a learning experience for you as much as it is for the children. At the end of the exercise, the kids will be able to recognize what every child needs; food, shelter, clothes, love, protection.
I hope you enjoy your day off and take the time to be of service to the community.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’” -Martin Luther King Jr.
Same and Different game link: https://humanrightswarrior.com/2011/02/12/same-and-different/