Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation
The times that our children are in now are very different from the times in which we lived. I can understand why some parents do not want to expose their kids to things such as homosexuals becuase it may go against their religion and values. So instead we choose to brush things under the rug. I believe that we should avoid placing these same-sex books in our centers due to the fact that it is against religions and goes against the values that are set forth. If the book was only brought our for reading time and explained to the children, it would be better this way. I think that we expose kids to some things early and this is one of them; this is left for the parents to handle.If a parent and/ or family member came to me explaining that they do not want anyone gay or lesbian teaching their child(ren). Then I will make sure that the prinicipal, supervisor or whomever gets the message so that the child's culture and needs can be met. We are here to work with the families and if the parents make special request, it is up for us to fulfil.
I feel vwry similar Chanelle; however, a comment left on my blog had me thinking about what if a parent said something similar about not wanting a teacher of color or if topics of race and equality were equally as controversial. It got me thinking and really analyzing myself. While I do feel a certain way about same-sex couples being in the spotlight and highlighted in early childhood classrooms, I feel these family units need to be displayed as well because the reality is, we have children that come from these families. Pretending they dont exist is like pretending their family does not exist.
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