It is important that we teach our child to have an open mind and to be accepting of differences—all the while teaching them to embrace their own uniqueness.
It is equally as important we teach our child to think critically about information, whether it comes from us, from friends and relatives, the media (especially social media), life in general.
I remember that when my daughter was young, she was really interested in playing with Barbie dolls. As an educator I was weary of the Barbie dolls imposing an idea in her mind of beauty being the perfection that is presented in a Barbie doll. I didn’t want to ban Barbie dolls as I was sure she was going to have access to them at some point with friends.
I decided to let her have Barbies, but had discussions with her about the fact that Barbies are not an accurate representation of women, are not what most people look like. Rarely do people have perfect facial features and makeup, hair, and a figure like Barbie. I didn’t want her to think that this is what she needs to strive towards as an ideal.
I remember laughing with her about the fact that I have never
seen anyone walk on their toes like a Barbie!
It is important to teach our child to recognize information that is stereotypes as well. We want our children to live in a more inclusive and accepting society, and stereotyping is a tool that threatens this.
We can and should teach our child to resist and think critically about stereotypical information that includes misinformation about race, gender, age, abilities, family structure, and socio-economic status,
culture, or identity among many other things.
We can empower our child to think and make up their own decisions based on facts and personal experiences rather than on misinformation or the experience of others.
If every child was raised to be a critical thinker with an open mind and heart, this world would be a much happier and more peaceful place to live. ■