I remember seeing parents pulling their children away from the people that are physically or mentally different. I even saw parents purposely covering their children's eyes to avoid them from seeing or contacting these people. I asked one of my friends to find out whether she had seen disabled people when she was young, and how her parents dealt with it. She told me she remembered as walking on the street when she was young, she saw one man without right arm, and she couldn't turn her eyes away and asked her mom why that man had only one arm. Her mom didn't say anything but kept pulling her away from the man. She was very curious and kept looking back at the man. Then her mom told her, "if you can't be a good girl and listen to what I say, you will lose your arm just like that man. He was not a good man so he lost his arm." My friend got so scared and she never asked this kind of questions again. Of course later on she realized that people won't lose their arms by not being good people, but it has given her an impression that disabled people are probably not good people. She knows this concept is wrong, but she can't help it and still tries to stay away from disabled people.
I was so shock when I heard this. How ridiculous that parents would tell their children so untrue facts like this. Moreover, this fear and impression affect people so deeply when they are young, and they will probably affect their own children later on.
Parents communicate negative messages to children by reprimanding or silencing them, and children might act in negative ways next time when they see people different than themselves. When in the classroom, it is very important for early childhood educator to create an anti-bias environment so that children learn to treat people equally. I like the book "it's okay to be different" by Todd Parr because the book illustrates in the colorful pictures the differences people and their families might have, for example, single parent or two dads/moms. When responding children regarding this situation, I will explain to them why this person sits on wheelchair, what could be the reason that he/she cannot walk, and what we can say or do to him/her, for example, we can help them open the door or if they need help pushing the button to cross the street. This is very good opportunity for children to learn that people can be different and there is nothing wrong to be different.
Reference
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for youngchildren and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
