Planet Earth is full of diversity; no two people are the same! It’s important for our children to learn that everyone is different but should be treated the same. Under no circumstances is it acceptable to be disrespectful to someone just because they look different or have different beliefs. One way to teach your child to celebrate diversity is to explore various cultural traditions; this will help them understand and respect their peers who may have different backgrounds. Here are some tips from an international school in London.
Start by showing your child how big the world is, using a world map or globe. Point out some of the different countries and explain that people live there. They may speak a different language, have different religious beliefs, and have different coloured skin. They may even wear different types of clothing and listen to different music. Encourage your child to pick a country from the map and do some research together to find out more about the people that live there. The idea is to give your child an understanding of how big our planet is and how all the people who live on it are equally important.
Once you have done some research into different countries, you could start to learn more about their religious beliefs and cultural traditions. Perhaps invest in a calendar and make a note of all of the upcoming celebrations, like Diwali, Chinese New Year, Eid, Thanksgiving, Easter etc. Find out where these traditions and events originated and how they are celebrated. You could even celebrate yourselves at home. This will be both education and enjoyable for your child.
You should also test some recipes from around the globe. Expand your child’s palette and get them to learn some cooking skills, while simultaneously learning about what foods are traditionally eaten in different countries. What utensils are used to prepare and eat the meals? Practical activities like this are a great opportunity for your child to learn a range of skills, while also bonding with you.
