My response to those who believe that early childhood centers
should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such
as same-sex partnered families would be based on the fact that fewer and fewer
children are growing up in two-parent, heterosexual, nuclear families. Lesbian
and gay families are one of the many diverse family types that exist (Safezone, 2011).
All children need to feel that their
families are acceptable to their teachers.
That means that they must not get the impression that their family is
not normal. Also they need to see their
families reflected in materials throughout the program, and they need to be
able to talk about their families and hear about families like theirs. Even if there are no children of gay or
lesbian individuals in the early childhood center, it
is still important to acknowledge the existence of families with gay and
lesbian parents, so that children are prepared to be respectful when they do
meet people who are lesbian or gay (Week 3 Course Media).
My response to a parent/family
member who informed me they did not want anyone who is perceived (or
self-reported) homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or
interacting with their child would be to first point out that sexual
orientation does not affect someone’s job qualifications and that people should
not be solely defined by their sexual orientation, but by their professional
capabilities. I would engage the parent/family member in conversation to find
out what factors precipitated that family member’s prejudiced stance. I would listen carefully with an open
heart. I would explain to the
parent/family member why I think it is so vital to children’s healthy
development and future life success to develop comfortable and respectful
interactions with all kinds of people (Derman-Sparks & Edwards,
2010).
Reference
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Web
Article: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual frequently asked questions. (2011). Safezone.
Retrieved from http://safezone.fsu.edu/guide/lgb-faq.pdf
Week 3 Course Media: "Start Seeing Diversity: Sexual Orientation" (Approx. length: 6 minutes)
Martha- I enjoyed your blog posting and I especially liked your statement of children need to feel that their families are acceptable to their teachers, this is so important especially with young children who may be dealing with some confusion, they need to know their teacher accepts them. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Martha,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post and totally agree with you. Bias, prejudice, and stereotyping is rooted in fear. As ant-bias early childhood educators, it is important for us to listen respectfully to any fears that families have and explain the importance of developing tolerance and respect for all kinds of family structures, even if you don't agree with their lifestyle. It is important for all children and families to feel accepted and valued, and that they are welcomed in the early childhood program.
you have made so many excellent points here. It is so important that children feel included in their classrooms. A child can not feel as if they are accepted if they do not see a family which represents their own depict throughout the center, literacy, and media. In order for optimal development to occur a child must feel accepted, loved and encouraged to grow.
ReplyDeleteMartha,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog!! I especially like how you tackled the question regarding a parents concern for having a homosexual or transgender early childhood educator caring for their child. I think your approach to this situation is very effective and professional. I actually considered answering this question too, but was really stuck on how to appropriately word my response! Thanks for sharing!
Shawna
Martha, you make a great point. I couldn't agree more. There are are so many different kind of families today. I like what you said about all children needing to feel like their families are normal. I can remember reading a story to my children a few years ago about babies. The illustrator subtly drew a picture of two mothers taking care of a baby. It was the first time that I had seen a picture like this and I thought it was good. I liked the fact that my kids didn't ask me about the picture at the tender ages of 6 and 2. I just seemed natural to my 6 year old. I actually remember telling my oldest about same sex parent when she started school. I wanted her to know that all families don't look like ours but they are still a family.
ReplyDeleteMartha,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post and completely agree it is so important for all children to have respectful interactions with all kinds of people. Research demonstrates that children develop their understandings about diversity from the various interactions in their daily lives so it is essential that children learn acceptance and appreciation for differences early on.
Martha,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your opinions and also appreciated that you were able to use resources to justify your thoughts. As educators it is imperative that we are open to the types of families and that we do educate our students, as you said there are few families with a mother father and children, that is biological children.