My three year old has recently started a new play group that is intertwined with the kindy I will be sending him to next year, it is fantastic and he loves it! There are some children of different ethnicities that attend, my son was pushed over by one if the ethnic children and he screamed loudly "that black boy pushed me!" it was obviously said with honest intentions and was clearly just an observation of the child's darker pigment, I explained to my son that it is not polite to say things like that, he is just a boy, just like he is! My son agreed that he is a boy just like him but he is black. So how do I try to explain to my child political correctness? I am unsure why I even feel like it's nessecary , he was making a true and factual observation.. How are we meant to prepare our children to live in a world where political correctness has gone mad?
1 Replies
Great question! I think it will be interesting to hear responses from people of different ethnicities.
Personally I think as white people we are probably more anxious about descriptors than we need to be. I suppose the problem is (if a white child pushed him) would he say that white boy pushed me?
I've kind if experienced this with my son (who is obviously disabled) people notice and kids say stuff. Rather than getting offended by that I use the opportunity to introduce the child to my son and explain that's it's ok that he's different etc. I always feel sad when parents hush there kids up when they mention my son. I'd rather my son wasn't a dirty little secret not to be talked about. I figure I'm teaching these kids (and there parents) that firstly I noticed my son is disabled and in not embarrassed about it so you shouldn't be either, secondly that we are approachable and happy to share and talk about how amazing my son is just like everyone else :)
Well that went somewhere else! But feeds into difference and diversity so thought it was valid lol