Delightful Parenting- Parenting Solutions at your Tips!: Raising Inclusive Kids

We often talk to our children about how they hang out with their
friends and peers in school. It is not bizarre to find children hanging out in
a clique with only a few of their batchmates or preferring to talk to only a group
of close-tied friends. Also, you may find children often engaging in
name-calling or making fun of a peer because they are different. However, these
incidences can be a cue to raising
inclusive kids.

 The Need for Inclusive Parenting

It is essential to understand that we live in a multicultural country
where people follow different cultures, speak different languages, belong to
divergent races, and even have dissimilar skin colors. 

In such a scenario, it
is essential to make our kids understand and respect the differences so that
they can grow up to be more compassionate, empathetic, and inclusive human
beings. 

Raising Inclusive kids – Important Tips to Follow

Here are some tips and strategies to consider while raising inclusive kids. 

Educate kids about diverse cultures and races.

Have An Open Discussion

Kids often come up with a myriad of questions about why some people
look or behave differently. As parents, it is necessary to keep an open mind
and answer all the questions patiently. 

More importantly, we as parents must
try to figure out what provoked the questions in the feeble minds of our
children and then provide an age-appropriate answer for the same. 

Never avoid the questions if you do not know the answer instantly.
Tell your child you will find an answer and get back to them later. Only by
targeting the questions correctly can we make our children appreciate the
diversity in people and raise more inclusive kids. 

                                          

Model Inclusive Behavior

Remember, children are very good observers. They learn most things by
mimicking the behavior of adults. Therefore, the best strategy for raising inclusive kids is by reflecting
a behavior devoid of stereotypes and judgments. We can take the very first
step into modeling inclusive behavior by expanding our social circle to people
from different cultural backgrounds. 

Socializing with different people also exposes kids to the concept of
diversity. Eventually, they will learn to celebrate differences, avoid
stereotypes, and use respectful language for people of all creeds and cultures.
They will learn to treat people with the same respect and kindness as they
expect from them.

 

 Related post – Is your child getting bullied?

Develop Compassion, Empathy, and High Self-Esteem

Compassion and empathy are basic cognitive skills that help children
grow into more kind and helping human beings. They can understand how others
feel by putting themselves in their shoes. 

These values also teach children how to
behave with people in society during different scenarios. More importantly,
it makes children feel capable and competent, eventually raising their self-esteem. 

You can teach children to be more compassionate and empathetic by
occasionally helping friends or neighbors who are in need.

 

                

Prepare Them for
Different Scenarios

At times, you are inevitably caught in an embarrassing situation with
your kids. In that case, you need to apologize for your child’s mistake and
teach them the right thing to do. 

Other times, your child may use inappropriate
language or unacceptable terms while asking questions. In that case, gently
correct them by showing better alternatives. 

Sometimes, children ask inappropriate questions in public. It is
obvious to feel uncomfortable in such a scenario. But we as parents must
understand that our kids are too young to perceive social norms. 

It is our
responsibility to provide a simple yet positive response. You can tell them
later not to ask such questions in public, as it may hurt some people.

 More Tips to Raise Inclusive Kids

With that said, it is also imperative to subjectively expose children
to diverse experiences and different people. You can provide that exposure as
parents by attending local cultural events or traveling to different places.
Media and books are effective portals for teaching kids about divergent
cultures and ethnicities. 

As you help them explore the differences, also
emphasize the similarities that we share as human beings. It will help them
connect with people at a more humane level than superficial differences. These basic life skills are essential for raising inclusive kids.

Also read-

Bringing aliveness in parenting and relationships

References-

https://www.usnews.com/

https://www.parents.com/

https://biglifejournal.com/

https://www.thetot.com/