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Julie Piazza-King, Director, Family Life Child Care Program, on Teaching Tolerance

We strive to teach tolerance and respect for others every day of the year in the Family Life Child Care program. We do this through our selection of multicultural toys and pictures that are displayed; as well as through intentional lesson plans that focus on accepting differences. However, in the month of January, teaching tolerance is strongly emphasized as children learn about Martin Luther King Jr. We believe that while children are learning about the struggle for civil rights, that this is a good time to focus on teaching tolerance. 

It is important for young children to learn about tolerance and acceptance, as today's children are growing up in a world comprised of culturally diverse people. Teaching cultural diversity has also been shown to be linked to positive social skills overall. Most of the research shows that children's racial attitudes are formed by the age of nine. Until then, we have an opportunity to help shape a child's feelings about race and culture. The foundation of self-awareness is laid when children are infants and toddlers. By age two, children recognize and explore physical differences. They are also learning the names of colors, and they begin to apply this to skin color. Natural curiosity will lead to questions about differences. Young children tend to reflect the attitudes and prejudices of their parents and/or primary caregivers, so it is important that parents also be aware of how they affect their child's attitudes and beliefs about race and culture. This article is just one of many that provides some tips on how to teach your child tolerance.