Are our children too young to be taught about race/discrimination?

An article that I came across yesterday inspires this post.

 

Our young children (0-7yrs) yet do not understand the concepts of class, gender, race fully but yet can surely be ‘projecting’ discrimination in their outward behavior. When we begin to look at it from ‘adult lenses’ we may find it based on class/gender/caste/outer beauty/race etc. This could happen with children when they are choosing friends to play with, sharing toys or meals.

 

If they are, it is time for us adults to ‘not to talk’ about the issue, but turn around and inwardly look within ourselves and observe closest adults around the child.

 

Our starting point could be reflecting on how we treat our helpers at home. Our inward thoughts towards them are as important as ‘outward’ gestures at home. And well post that there are enough things to reflect upon- our thoughts and actions towards other communities/faiths/gender/sexuality etc.

 

Children between the ages of 0-7 yrs project attitudes we (parents primarily) carry (outer world is yet to have a stronger influence on children between 0-7 yrs) and to change that we have to change ourselves.

 

There are no shortcuts unfortunately that we can use with young children and resort to giving lectures and ‘talking’ about it.

 

But if we see a pattern often repeated, as a short-term measure, if required we may use simpler form of speech.

 

When the child is often calling another child ‘moti’ (fat)- the parent gently reminds ‘we will call everyone by their names’.

 

When your child is not letting another classmate/friend join their game, you could say ‘we all play together in this house/kindergarten”.

The parent can follow it up with an action also. Parent gets up, leads the ‘left out’ child into the play area of children & say it to the group- “your xyz friend will help you all by serving in the restaurant” (the game children are playing).

 

Remember to use ‘we’ for young children as it makes it non-threatening and yet conveys your point. The speech should be affirmative, concise and firm.

If you would like your child to play and spend more time with children of house-helpers, then parent- helper relationship will have to be strengthened first. The two children if left by themselves without the fear of 'what their parents may think', would surely be quite happy to be playmates and invent new games together!

 

Children need close trusted and responsible adults around them in younger years, who can protect, role-model positive behaviors and are also be present physically to supervise and intervene timely when required.

 

Let’s remind ourselves that young children are beings of imitation.

Their habits are not yet formed through ‘consequences’, ‘conversation’ or ‘explanation’ but purely through ‘absorbing’ the closest environment they live in.