Black History Month Books for Caregivers
The books and brochures listed below are the references for the past week of posts about Black History Month for nannies and au pairs.
Raising the Rainbow Generation: Teaching Your Children to be Successful in a Multicultural Society
By Darlene Powell Hopson
Designed for parents, teachers, and other caregivers of children under 12. The books suggests words and concepts children can understand at various ages. Whether a child is black, white, brown, yellow, or red, he or she is growing up with a negative or uninformed outlook toward people of other colors. The authors examine the sources of racial and ethnic stereotypes and explore the attitudes of parents before dispensing advice about raising offspring. The advice is grounded in real-life scenarios and current (or recent) events. It is realistic, well-focused, not preachy. A final chapter supplies folktales from around the world for reading aloud to young children
Teaching Tolerance: Raising Open-Minded, Empathetic Children
By Sara Bullard
Tolerance begins at home. We are all born with the capacity for tolerance and intolerance, Bullard maintains, and many of our natural traits? By far the most important indicator of intolerance is how a child is treated within a family. The child who is denied love, or raised in an atmosphere that is harsh or threatening, will become frustrated and angry; low self-esteem and a propensity for prejudice are then more likely to follow. Firm, calm, consistent parenting, Bullard writes, allows children to develop the curiosity, creativity and appreciation for the mysteries of life that are characteristics of the tolerant individual. Bullard enlivens her work with quotes and anecdotes from such figures as Maya Angelou and Martin Luther King Jr., and she concludes each chapter with questions and suggestions for journal writing to help parents further explore their own attitudes. Also included is an extensive list of books, toys, games and music that explore ethnicity and promote tolerance. More thought-provoking than prescriptive, Bullard's reasoned and persuasive essay offers convincing inspiration for parents to serve as open-minded models for their children.
Prejudice and Your Child
By Kenneth Bancroft Clark
Discusses racial awareness and its impact on white as well as black children, and provides wise counsel and a plan for action that is as fresh — and as necessary.
2 comments:
I have been following these posts again all week.(I have cared for children adopted from Guatamela and we would get the comments once in awhile too.)
I knew how to deal with it thanks to previous education and training.
But related to all of this I am seeing through NAEYC teachers discuss Anti-Bias approaches. In particular today I wrote a response to a teacher asking about what to do with Mom and Dad events at school when a child has same sex parents (meaning LGBT). I also have experience in this as a nanny.
SO not only is the discussion great now for Black History Month, it is good for other differences too. It could be religion, ethnic, political, etc.
This Be the Best Nanny Newsletter has discussed bullies previously and I think they are good links for this topic too. Kids have to have pride in their own background but respect others too.
Nannies and au pairs are a great way for kids to learn and respect other cultures. I am Jewish and have worked for 5 Christian families (only 1 Jewish). I embrace their culture and they learn about mine.
The parents always have allowed me to have a Passover dinner with the kids and they love it. I make it very very simple just a light story and what each symbol represents and why. It is their religious background too.
Color and race is different of course but every person they meet that is different is helpful.
Shoshanna Levy
Greenwich, CT
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