Teaching children to deal with prejudice can be uncomfortable, but it is crucial. Here are some tips to help your child learn about differences and deal with them effectively.

There are many forms of prejudice, and your child will most likely at some point fall victim, and just as assuredly play the victimizer. Be careful not to judge, but instead use these experiences as building blocks for improving how they treat others.

When your child does something that you feel is prejudice, bring up a time that they were hurt by a friend´s generalization or name-calling. Since children know little outside the realm of their own ego, they will be able to understand how their victim felt if you can associate something that hits home for them. Encourage your child to apologize to whomever they offended.

Children are very perceptive, but to many parent´s horror lack any social skills when discussing differences. Just because your child asks questions about someone´s color, eye shape, nationality or religion, don´t shush them or apologize. Simply explain to your child that everybody is different in a calm manner.

Point out differences between him and his sister, or his best friend. By celebrating differences in people and discussing them openly and honestly, your child won´t feel like differences are something to be ashamed of or ignore.

A common error that many adults make with children is cutting them off, herding them from the room, or getting irritable or upset by their questions. Differences are differences and they are quite obvious. Pretending they are non-existent is a disservice to your child.

It´s when we cut the lines of communication or don´t discuss differences that children begin to form bigoted opinions because they simply don´t know any better. As a parent, can we blame them? If we are too afraid to confront differences because of fear or shame, won´t they be?

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