Young children are meaning makers – perpetually learning from their environment.

Our views and perspectives in life are often formed by our experiences as children- firsthand experiences. Sometimes what a child experiences through the environment and from people around him/her gives positive effects and thus leads to life-affirming and anti-bias thoughts and actions. However at other times, the experiences of a child do give negative effect thus a child develops and adopts a mindset that is biased, racial and highly prejudiced. As adults, how we interpret differences when a child discovered it, how we act on such occasions and our responses to a child’s natural inquisitiveness are life forming experiences that can shape the perspectives and views of that child.
When my family moved to a new location some years ago we went to visit a colleague who actually invited us to come for the birthday of his son. The party was going well with children until we got there. On seeing my family (we were the only black people there that day) a particular boy started screaming and would not play with anyone again, it was so embarrassing. I learned later that that was the first time the little boy was meeting with a black person in real life. Every efforts made to placate the boy was unsuccessful. What the mother did was to pick him up took him to a separate room for them to eat and after some minutes left the party with the boy.
Children do have experiences like this that do cause them, shock, discomfort, dissatisfaction and even pain. Deductions from such experiences may lead to stereotypes, bias and prejudice as they make children to live with fear, discouragement, distrust and such of others. Adults in children’s live, especially those of us in early year programs therefore have to be very careful and mindful of the messages we communicate to children through our words and actions/inactions on occasions such as mentioned above.
Considering the background of the child at the center of this story, I think it is natural for him to have some reservations and expressed it. His action on that day I think provided a very good opportunity for the mother and other adults around him that day to help him understand, appreciate and celebrate differences. A good opportunity it was to let the boy know that life would be boring and dull if we were all the same. One of the ways an anti-bias educator would have provided support for the child at the center of the incident above I think is to demonstrate or put up actions that is welcoming to diversity and respect for the differences on display that day. Actions such as a hug and a discussion between us and the mother are the types that an anti-bias educator would have displayed to help the boy’s understanding and acceptance of diversity. Acceptance of differences in others can be taught in a subtle but visibly way. Children in such circumstances have their fear allay and develop the right attitude towards diversity by learning from attitudes, actions and values they see important adults in their lives displayed at such occasions.