A few years ago when my nephew was about four-years-old, he was standing in line at the donut shop with his mom and he made the audible observation of "Why does that man have a ponytail like a girl?!" about the man standing in front of the two of them. My sister quickly reacted with a "Hush!" follow by "We don't talk about others outline like that.".
A message that could have been communicated to my nephew is that it is never okay to observe others or even ask questions. Also, taking the time to discuss how many men have long hair, even our brother growing up, so simply because a man does have a ponytail it does not mean he is a woman. Everyone is allowed to look or dress as he/she feels or wants to.
An anti-bias educator it would have be vital to approach the discussion in a non-reactive manner. A discussion as to why the child felt this way should be explored by any intentional teacher. This could lead into a discussion of how many people do the same things in varying cultures or simply because the person likes it. Trying to make real and relevant connections is another way to aide a child as an anti-bias educator. Providing text and photos for the children to view and understand in a manner that is able to be processed.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI think nephew was just being curious. He associated having a ponytail with a female, and probably never observed a male with one. Different cultures have different traditions, and do things different ways. I believe providing pictures and texts would be an amazing asset to providing documentation about ponytails and any topic that may need to be discussed.
Having discussions will always be a key element to teaching children right from wrong when it comes to stereotypes, harsh words, and physical judgement on people. I agree that providing texts and pictures could help understanding as well.
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