One afternoon I took my nephew to Target so that he could get some video games. It was this little girl on our aisle whose face was burned. My nephew burst out crying and was yelling he was scared of her. I was so embarrassed because the little girl started to look sad. I grabbed my nephew by the hand and told him to be quiet. I told him why the little girl looked different than he did. We left the store and I did not buy him any games because I was so embarrassed.
When I was talking to my nephew in the car he understood that his behavior was inappropriate. He knew that I was embarrassed by his actions. I explained to him that some people will look different from others and it is not nice to cry or say mean things toward them. I explained to him that we are all unique individuals no matter how we look. He gave me a hug and told me he was sorry. He wanted to go back to target and apologize to the little girl. We went back inside and found the little girl and her family. Instead of getting himself a toy he gave the little girl the money that I had given him. He hugged her and told her he was sorry as well. Her parents were very appreciative that my nephew came back and apologized. They advised me that it is something they deal with on a regular basis and their daughter has low self-esteem because of the way other kids respond to her.
An anti-bias educator would have reacted differently to this situation and would have advised the child that you should not be afraid of people who look different from you. The educator would have not told the child to be quite. The educator would have then advised the child that we are all important people in today’s society and making fun or being afraid of others can be hurtful. The overall message that would have been displayed it to treat others how you would like to be treated.
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