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: 01-15-2006
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:05pm

if age was the reason people cyber-bully i'd say you'd be on to something but the fact of the matter is bullying is NOT age defined.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2010
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:21pm
That is a very good point, where do you (general you) draw the line in these type of situations.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2010
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:23pm
Well that is certainly an interesting response.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-12-2005
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:27pm

I do not see what relevance it has how old the bullies are. My point is that why would you expect Facebook to enforce some of its rules and not others? There are valid reasons for the age requirement just like there are valid reasons for the terms of service. What is the justification for saying that someone like ducky who reports violations of the age requirement is "playing God" if you are someone who reports violations of other terms of service? Because in your opinion, the terms of service violations that you report are important, but the ones ducky reports are not? It's a double standard. I think the age requirement is far more important than the bullying of adults. Children are more likely to post too much information about themselves online, make themselves a target of online predators. I think ducky reporting those violations is going much further in protecting those children than reporting a so-called cyber bully on ivillage, when said cyber bully is an adult, the alleged target is an adult, and the alleged target has provoked by insulting, accusing, digging up information on people, storing information on people, using personal information against people years later, and stalking people's children. So why is ducky's reporting of people violating the age requirements of Facebook, in an effort to protect children, playing God, but your reporting of terms of service violations on this board is not?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:27pm

Yep. You can look back at the posts and see that I ORIGINALLY said it was NOT a day trip. Shrug.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2010
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:28pm
If you can't be bothered to share how one travels almost 400 miles in 4.5 hours because it is too personal, then I don't think I can share details about my children with you.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:29pm

"Ducky" has never answered me if she EVER got a response back from fb from her requests. I wonder why. Hmmm...

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:30pm

Oh my...you are a day late and a dollar short.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:31pm

Why do you ask?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-12-2005
Thu, 12-30-2010 - 8:32pm

And your point?

I can think of a dozen reasons why ducky would not share that information with you. Surely, given the imagination you have displayed on this board, you can come up with a few.

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