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Every child needs to feel like they belong somewhere or with someone. It is through connection with others that children thrive and flourish. Being isolated or excluded can be hurtful and can impact children’s mental health. We as adults, caregivers, and Providers need to be proactive in creating an environment of inclusion. Building an inclusive culture is not as difficult to achieve as we may perceive it to be.
Children are curious, capable, and open-minded. They don’t feel embarrassed or discomfort with having conversations about being different, and we as adults do not need to have the perfect words when talking to our children about inclusion. Here are simple strategies to help children accept and celebrate themselves and others:
Model Inclusive Behaviour – examine your personal beliefs and behaviours and celebrate differences. Children observe the people around them and how they behave with others. If you treat all people with kindness and respect, your child will too.
Build Self-Esteem and Empathy – give children opportunities to feel capable and competent. Teach children to put themselves in their ‘friends shoes’ and understand and express their feelings and thoughts.
Be Prepared for Questions and Various Scenarios – when a child brings questions to you, discuss differences openly, provide honest answers. It is fine to say that you don’t know the answer, but that you will find out. Children are stronger than we think they are and therefore are able to handle honesty and learn from it.
Exposure to Diverse Experiences and People – exposure to diverse experiences and people normalizes differences in children. It is also equally important to emphasize similarities in people, and explain that although people are different, we may have similar if not the same experiences. The way we treat others and the choices we make are more important.
Read Books that Celebrate Differences – Books are a great way to teach children about being inclusive. Incorporate a variety of books and topics as bedtime stories and have a discussion about it the next day. Literacy opens up a whole world for children to be understanding and accepting. Some books we recommend for this are “All Are Welcome” by Alexandra Penfold and “All People Are Beautiful”, by Vincent Kelley
Start the conversations early with children and keep it going through the coming years. If your child knows they can always come to you with questions, they’ll have a safe place to learn, and will grow into accepting, compassionate adults. All you have to do is plant the seed.
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