This summer I took my son to work with me. I work at a center base school with SXI (Severely Multiply Impaired) students who are between the ages 14- 20. The children I work with are mostly in wheelchair and have to have their diaper changed. My son is three years old and asked me why do I have to push that boy’s wheelchair and why I have to change his diaper and asked me was he a baby? I tried to explain the best way I could to him so that he may understand. I told my son that the child was born this way and he cannot walk and go to the bathroom like you. I do not know if my son understood what I was saying but he stop asking question about the little boy. Months later my son and I was at a store and he saw a lady in a wheelchair and he said to me mommy that lady cannot walk. I was proud because I realized that when I answered my son question about the boy in the wheelchair I help him to understand a little about people in wheelchairs without him being alert about people in wheelchairs.
I am finding that there are going to be many questions my son is going to asked me and as a mother I will have to address them in order for him to understand why people are different. I want him to treat all people with respect regardless of them being different. As a educator I want to teach my student the same way they are to respect people may not be just like them that everyone is different. By doing this I will be helping the student to not be bias with people that are different.
I agree with your approach. I think being honest and answering the question to the best of our ability is the only way to introduce diversity to our children.
ReplyDeleteIt is very important to reply to these questions in an honest and age appropriate manner. As parents and educators we mus be honest with children because if we do not answer them in an honest way they may try to seek the answer from a less reliable source.
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