Teaching tolerance to our kids

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2010
Teaching tolerance to our kids
1822
Mon, 12-27-2010 - 4:06pm

The discussion in the other thread about gay marriage (OK, it wasn’t so much a discussion as an attack on granitestategal, plus the last time I checked it had devolved into mumbling and maniacal laughter...time to move on!) got me to thinking about this new generation of kids and how things have changed for them. Technology has exploded, and kids are more connected than ever before. They’re also disconnected in a whole new way, but this thread isn’t about that. I’d like to know what we are teaching our kids as far as tolerance for other religions, races and lifestyles.

My parents were brought up by parents who were extremely prejudiced against non-Catholics and non-whites. My great-grandparents must not have passed along the lessons they’d learned as immigrants themselves. The town we lived in was predominantly white and Catholic, and up until high school I didn’t know anyone who was black, Jewish, Hispanic, or gay*. When I moved away from home, I was blown away by how different people outside my little world really were, and fascinated by it. I was, and am, determined to raise my kids to respect and appreciate the differences of others and to understand that deep down we really aren’t that different.

A few years ago when DS was 4, we ran into the husband of a co-worker at a music festival. My co-worker is also male. I probably went overboard in my introduction, but I wanted to get the point across that it’s perfectly OK for some families to consist of 2 dads or 2 moms, or one parent, or parents of different races/religions.

Kevali


 Photobucket

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:25pm

Again, please explain.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2010
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:26pm
Yes, I know....my post didn't say a darn thing about legal drinking age.

Perhaps you would like to answer the question I asked and just so you don't say...what question, lol, here it is again.

Kids who are 18 to 21 are adults, why would the parents be monitoring their facebook accounts at this age?
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:26pm

I was speaking of kids fb accounts.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2009
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:27pm

I believe it's a far more wide-ranging cultural issue than a national one having to do with a legal age.

************

Kitty

"If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's little point in writing."-- Kingsley Amis, British novelist, 1971 t .

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-22-2009
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:28pm
lol, your yanking that chain again.
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2009
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:29pm

I should have just read your post.

************

Kitty

"If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's little point in writing."-- Kingsley Amis, British novelist, 1971 t .

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:31pm

Just like you would look at another person's fb account, I see nothing wrong at looking at your child's.

Do you think it is ok for an 18 yr. old to be drinking?

Avatar for rollmops2009
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2009
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:31pm

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2010
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:32pm
As an explanation as to why I was heavy handed in the beginning with my oldest and his facebook....well it isn't so easy with him, so I agreed to him having a facebook (at 13) if he would allow monitoring and when I felt comfortable, I would back off a bit....he agreed and it has in general gone pretty well. Most likely I won't have such a heavy hand with the youngest, he's a different kid for one and second, he's the second one and I learn from the first, lol.

I don't know if I think it's creepy, but I think that would depend on the level of looking at other peoples facebook...a quick look to confirm that the kids go to the same school and perhaps a glance at the wall, I don't think of as creepy. Now going through pages and pages of their wall posts and pictures on a regular basis...yes.
Avatar for rollmops2009
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2009
Sat, 01-01-2011 - 1:33pm

I think you explained better actually.

Pages