Welcome to Make A Difference Mondays! Today we are linking up ideas on teaching children about RESPECT. If you missed out on last month, we linked up ideas on the character trait EMPATHY.
If you are new to this linky party, you can read the story behind the idea and directions on how to link up here. Please be sure to include my button and link back to this page. Spread the word to your blogger friends, parents of your students, mommy pals, etc. Make A Difference Mondays will serve as an excellent resource for families and teachers when wanting a variety of ways to teach character traits to the little ones in their lives.
Respect
Respect is an important way of being kind and good to other people. Respect means not making fun of others. Respect means thinking of how somebody else feels. Respect is treating another person the same way you’d want to be treated yourself
In high school I was a part of a group called The Dignity and Respect Committee. It was our job to recognize and acknowledge the differences among students at our school. We would highlight cultural groups by showcasing their music, clothing, food and traditions.
I think a large part of teaching respect is exposing children to different cultures. Teaching them that the world is made up of different people and that being different isn’t a bad thing. Here are a few ideas on teaching children to respect differences.
Music: Introduce children to music from different cultural backgrounds. Here are a few fun cds to get you started.
1. Global Wonders Around the World
Budget Tip: Don’t forget your local library might carry children’s music cds for you to check out, free of charge!
Food:
Take your family on a field trip out to eat at an ethnic restaurant. Encourage your children to try new foods. My daughter used to eat rice and avacado when we went out to sushi for dinner. She was afraid and refused to try anything else. She’s been with us there so many times that recently she wanted to eat sushi. If your children will not try the foods, you can always take baby steps and go out for ethnic dessert instead of an entire meal!
Clothing:
Books are a great way to teach children about respecting differences, especially in the clothing worn by children around the world.
Here are a few suggestions:
Traditions:
December is the perfect time to teach about different traditions. Focus on how lights are used in various ways and how they hold many different meanings. Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and Diwali all celebrate using lights. Find out detailed descriptions of traditions and activities to go along with teaching them here.
Field Trips:
Check your local listings for events such as cultural recitals, music concerts and festivals. Off the top of my head, I know we have a few things around Metro Detroit such as the Renaissance Festival, Polish dancing in Hart Plaza, Irish dancers at the Corktown St. Patrick’s Day Parade, German Festivals in the summer and much MUCH more!
Fun Fact: My sister and I were Polish Dancers (evidence below!)
Readers, please comment below if you have any ideas on how you teach your children about respect. Bloggers, I would love for you to link up!
