While out shopping at the mall with friends, my
six-year-old daughter and her friend saw two adults with restricted growth
walking, they started to giggle and said, “Look at those people!” to us moms while
pointing at them. I told my daughter not to point at them, while my friend said
the same to her son, and explained, in serious tone, that there are people who
look differently and it is not something we should think of as funny.
Our children instantly stopped giggling and did not
pay attention to them when we came across them again later on as we shopped. So
from our reactions, our children learned that we should not regard+ physical
differences as funny things. At that
same time though, they might have taken our response as a message that we
should not have interests or curiosities in people who look differently than
ourselves.
An anti-bias educator might have used this as
teachable moment. For example, he or she could have used the children’s
curiosity to cultivate understanding. An anti-bias educator might have asked
the children why they think little people were funny, explain why they are
short and try to give a chance for the children to talk to those adults with
restricted growth and ask if they are different inside.
Hi Ayako,
ReplyDeleteI think you and your friend handled this situation just fine. Sometimes we are not sure what to say but at least you both did. You could have not said anything to your children and that could have reinforced laughing at others. Good for you both in stepping in and addressing this.
Lori
Ayako,
ReplyDeleteI just cringe when I hear the words those people. You did well by telling them to stop and not point. As a disabled person myself, I would have gone a step farther by approaching the adults and giving them the respect explain my child’s behavior and apologized. Most of the time they will be nice and explain their handicap to the child, I know I would.
Sandra