Do your kids understand and embrace the ethnic diversity of those around them? Or, have they not been exposed to other races, cultures and ethnicities enough to even know that there are differences? Today’s culture lends itself to be a little more open about such differences, and this is a positive turn in our society.

Flip on the television and even on the preschool channel, there are a variety of culturally diverse shows including Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street, Go Diego Go, Little Bill and even Pinky Dinky Do, whose main character has pink hair.

Allowing your child to watch this variety of shows will show them at an early age that there are many different types of people in our world today. Pointing out the differences but realizing that these differences do not make one group of people better than or worse than another group of people will help your child to understand and embrace all cultures.

There are movies out there that can show your children a wide variety of cultural areas and allow them exposure to the different cultures that make up the world. You can also purchase dolls and clothing that are culturally diverse teaching your children even more about the many cultures that come together in our society.

The United States is becoming more and more of a “melting pot” as so many of us were taught in history class years ago - today it is becoming a reality. We want our children to embrace this concept of cultural diversity and be tolerant of people who are different from them.

Pop culture joining the ranks can only help us to teach more effectively. Allow your children to play with culturally diverse toys so that they can learn to be tolerant and loving to other cultures. Teach them about their own culture, helping them to understand why culture is important to everyone.

Be tolerant and embrace the cultures who are different from you and your family. Children will almost always copy what parents do, so, how you act towards other ethnicities gives them the framework for their own ideas and beliefs. Begin with yourself, and then teach your children, soon the world will be made up of one big happy diverse family if we can all work together to encourage tolerance and diversity.  Lisa Smith