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: 10-01-2010
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:01pm

Huh? Do you have a fb account? "Most" people make their walls private unless you are a friend. If she de-friends them, she can't see their wall.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:02pm

4 miles over the speed limit? Were you in a construction zone?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:03pm

Not sure why it is a dumb*** question. Shrug.

Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:05pm
Yes, I do. What I'm saying is that your child has access to walls you don't have access to. You may have no reason to de-friend a kid because the kid isn't doing anything inappropriate. However, that doesn't mean there's nothing going on on that kid's wall, a wall *you* can't see.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2009
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:06pm

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:07pm

Again, if the child's wall is private, no matter if it is me or my child, you can't see what they are saying.

Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:08pm
Your child can see the wall of any of her friends, right? But you can't, unless you friend the friend.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:08pm

No. I respond as I go. I don't have the time or patience to go through 10, 20 and sometimes 90 posts before responding.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2010
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:10pm

If my child is not friends with them, no she can not see their wall if it is private, just like I can't see their wall because I am not friends with them and it is private.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2009
Fri, 12-31-2010 - 4:12pm

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