tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25191821.post2193584568210804707..comments2024-02-09T09:06:35.137-06:00Comments on Madtown Mama: MLKSuzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090954944438450837noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25191821.post-22033564799074706802011-01-17T21:17:25.560-06:002011-01-17T21:17:25.560-06:00I think I started off with the lesson of why diver...I think I started off with the lesson of why diversity is better than uniformity. For example, what if all the cars in the world were blue? All the flowers red? All the people were the same color, same size, had the same interest. They understood how boring this would make the world, and that diversity makes our life richer. This year, for MLK day, I bought them Obama's book, Of Thee I Sing, which is a letter to his daughters, and the overall message is that our country is made up of all kinds of people, and that's the best way to be.<br /><br />In the earliest years, MLK day was a time to talk about this and about peace and justice generally. It wasn't until much later that I told them about the violence and racism and injustices. When I did, I told them, for example, that only white kids could go to school, and waited for a response. It came, "That's not fair!" and went from there. . . <br /><br />There's so much more to bring up, but with kids I think it's important not to overwhelm them (so that they lose interest), but to take small steps towards understanding such big issues.kclblogshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03735600447674229841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25191821.post-81066322660145986762011-01-17T19:07:18.428-06:002011-01-17T19:07:18.428-06:00Try teaching this kind of stuff to a class full of...Try teaching this kind of stuff to a class full of kids who are African American? And to boot, their parents who were already breathing down my back and calling me "White Girl" to the principal (they didn't like me because I didn't give their kids enough homework........). <br /><br />It's a tough subject! I didn't even try with my kids today. I will say, though, that your kids know a lot more about MLK than the 6th graders that I was subbing for a few years ago in Middleton. It was so frightening at how IGNORANT they were!!!Clairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04609255395293416061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25191821.post-68842961668092121092011-01-17T18:57:43.907-06:002011-01-17T18:57:43.907-06:00This is a good website to explore:
http://loveisn...This is a good website to explore:<br /><br />http://loveisntenough.com/<br /><br />It used to be called "Anti-Racist Parent," and I know it's a popular site in the transracial adoption world. (At least among transracial adoptive parents who have a clue; alas, some don't.) Good resources for white parents of white children as well, if I remember correctly--haven't looked at it for a while.Stephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03013628807611348775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25191821.post-41141010025348485112011-01-17T14:05:13.640-06:002011-01-17T14:05:13.640-06:00This morning CJ asked why he didn't have schoo...This morning CJ asked why he didn't have school. I told him today was Martin Luther King Day, in honor of a man who worked really hard to make sure everyone was treated equally. He said "Oh. Do we get presents from him?"<br /><br />D'oh.<br /><br />I told him no, that some people choose today to do public service or something good for their community. I admit, I left the comnversation there, pretty much. It was breakfast time, I hadn't had coffee, and he's 6. <br /><br />So far, we haven't done a whole lot to address particulars in terms of equality. We've talked with him about those who are less fortunate in terms he understands--food, clothing, shelter, and toys. He knows that we donate clothing, toys, and usable goods to Goodwill so that people who need these things can find them. <br /><br />We've talked to him about compassion, consideration, and respect--treating others as he would like to be treated, thinking about his actions and how they can be perceived, and respecting boundaries and objects by asking him how he would feel if someone took something of his or yelled at him.<br /><br />For the most part, we are still of a mind where we teach by example. He's getting closer to some of the conversations but we tend to keep it simple and build upon the previous stuff rather than try to cover everything at once. I don't know how that works for Daniel though--the only thing about which I am certain in this matter is that the approach is different for every child based on what he/she understands and connects within that moment.Beccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01573195570934029465noreply@blogger.com