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


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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2009
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:34pm

LOL

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2010
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:36pm
You nailed it (on the head). :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:37pm

My dd loses facebook all.the.time-lol!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:38pm

Not really. Again it was so long ago and my dh actually remembers this time-lol!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2010
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:39pm
Yep, about 19 mph.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-01-2009
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:40pm

I think she knows that its out there when she's 13 but it's not the be all and end all for her-- getting a cell phone and being able to text with her friends form different schools that she knows from theater and dance or who used to go to school wit hher but have moved is the big thing right now - I gave her my old one when I upgraded and that's filling her social needs right now LOL

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-13-2009
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:41pm
Yeah, from the improbable to the feasibly possible.

It still doesn't make it a day trip.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-01-2009
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:43pm

that's too bad.... so sorry that you have those discipline issues

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:46pm

5 hours is a day trip to me. Not on the road all day and still have enough time in the day to do other things.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2010
Wed, 12-29-2010 - 9:46pm

Day trip

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