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How to Teach Children About Cultural Differences

Children are born without prejudices. The way that parents act toward and speak about others can go a long way in encouraging kids to accept and embrace cultural diversity. Learning about cultural differences can allow your child to become a citizen who is able to work well with others, regardless of where they come from. It can also help your child develop tolerance for people with different beliefs and lifestyles.

Instructions

    • 1

      Expose your child to people from a variety of backgrounds. Meeting people who have different cultures helps to replace cultural stereotypes with actual names and faces, and may prevent your child from developing biases and stereotypes in the first place.

    • 2

      Attend cultural fairs and visit ethnic restaurants and various places of worship in your area. Point out the things that are different about other cultures, but also focus on how people of different cultures are similar to you.

    • 3

      Set a good example for your child. Cultivate friendships with people of diverse cultures. Do not perpetuate stereotypes by making insensitive comments about those from other countries or who ascribe to other faiths.

    • 4

      Learn about and celebrate holidays that belong to other cultures. For example, attend a Chinese New Year celebration or ask a friend if you can visit her home while she observes Kwanzaa, if these holidays are not part of your own culture.

    • 5

      Go out of your way to meet people from different cultures if you do not live in a diverse area. Consider inviting an inner-city child to spend the summer at your home if you live on a farm, or host a foreign exchange student for a semester.

    • 6

      Keep the lines of communication open. Answer children's questions honestly, and when you notice negative cultural stereotypes in the media or elsewhere, discuss these issues with your children.

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