Teachers and parents must teach children about diversity, stereotypes, and bias. Children will often repeat what they hear at home or in their environment. As a result, it is important to immediately correct children when they use bad language. I saw a child call a woman fat in a store. When I looked at the father, he started laughing. This nonverbal cue communicated to the child that it was okay to use this type of language. The child also started laughing; however, the woman was clearly offended. I did not say anything to the father because I did not know him. However, I wanted to tell him that he should correct the child and inform him that it is not okay to call people names. Children need guidance and direction. As a result, parents and teachers must teach them what is and is not appropriate language.
In the classroom, I would immediately inform children of the correct way to speak and how to treat others. If a child called another child a name, I would ask them how they would feel if people called them names. At the same time, I would instruct the child to avoid using stereotypes and degrading words.
It is crazy to hear children say things like that to others and the parents do not say anything back in response. This is going to have the children think that it is okay to say that kind of stuff when they get older. Parents these days need more training on how to correctly parent their children. When the children get in trouble for saying things like that about someone in school and they get in trouble, the parents do not understand.
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