Search Results for: blog do not believe the stereotypes

Do Not Believe The Stereotypes

Even as common as single parenting is, there are still so many stereotypes and common myths. Our children are from “broken” homes. This may be true for my marriage, it was broken, but I fixed my home and my family by getting a divorce. My family is not broken, I am not broken, my child is not broken. The same goes for “intact” family. Merriam- Webster defines family as “a group of persons of common ancestry”. We are an intact family, we are a group of individuals of common ancestry who just so happen to love each other and want … Continue reading →

Where Do Kids Learn These Things

I was sitting here talking to my middle son George and just a reminder he is bi-racial son. We were talking about the friends that he has made and I asked if he had a girl that he liked. George is only 10 so he is not able to date but I was interested to see what he would say. He mentioned that there were a few girls at his school that he liked. I asked him what they look like and the first thing out of his mouth that he would never like a white girl! Well that was … Continue reading →

Gender Stereotypes and Babies

The difference between boys and girls in terms of behavior is pretty subjective and largely depends on who you are talking to. Some psychologists will tell you that our children are programmed by our expectations, not their genetics, and how we mold them based on those expectations. I firmly believe that is a load of…. diapers. I do think that families play a huge role in the behavior of the children who grow up in those families, but I also think that gender plays a very big role in their behavior as well. It wouldn’t be a stereotype if it … Continue reading →

When a Child Makes a Racist Taunt To Another Child

No matter how much we read about adoption, there is a tremendous tendency to believe that your own kids are not getting questions or comments about race or adoption. The last few blogs have talked about helping to avoid stereotypes in children by having diverse books, dolls, and posters in their environment, and by specific actions and discussions to help kids develop empathy and learn about the contributions people of various races have made and are making to our society. Now I will mention some suggestions for a time when a child actually says or hears a racist comment or … Continue reading →

Combatting Stereotypes in Children, Part One

Our kids are growing up in a global society where they will have to feel comfortable with people of other races and religions. I really recommend the book Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice and the resources I listed in my blog Resources for Talking about Skin Color. The Public Broadcasting Service website offers the following suggestions from experts who contributed to PBS shows: Be aware of how and when children’s attitudes are formed. Children develop attitudes and identity through their experiences with their bodies and their social environments. Very young children perceive differences in skin color but … Continue reading →

Thoughts of Another Adoptive Mother, Continued

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My last two blogs have been a review of Jana Wolff’s memoir Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother and my reflections on my experiences and their similarities and differences with Wolff’s.Those reflections are continued here. I related to Wolff’s descriptions of her family—how happy they were and eager to include this new grandchild, but still recognizing something different. “Being adopted and being of color changed the way this baby was held and welcomed by his new extended family,” Wolff declares. “Ari was neither the first grandchild nor the first grandson, but he was touched with the gingerness of first-timers,” Wolff … Continue reading →

Problems Don’t Always Have to be Due to Single Parent Status

Popular culture and the mainstream press tend to want to turn to the increase of single parent households as an excuse for all sorts of things. When our children have a hard time, go through a rough stage, or get into trouble, people often turn to the “single parent” status of our families and try to place the blame. I admit that there are statistics that prove things like single parent families have lower incomes and thus there may be problems that result from this, but I do not always think that single parent status is to blame for everything … Continue reading →

Do You Talk Too Much?

I have written quite a bit about business communication and how to make the most of sales pitches and networking opportunities—but one thing I haven’t really written about is the tendency some of us have to talk TOO much when we are interacting with prospects and customers. If shyness is a problem for some small business owners, than talking too much and be too dominant in interactions is a problem for others. Do you say a dozen things when you really only need to say one? Do you feel uncomfortable with silence and feel like you need to keep talking … Continue reading →

Do Teachers Stereotype Students?

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Do teachers place stereotypes on students or families in the classroom? I say more than likely most do. Right or wrong, teachers are human. Teachers bring to the classroom, their history, their upbringing, and their past experiences. All of these contribute to how they view and think about other people, including their students. Some teachers in Palm Beach recently attended a class that dealt with breaking stereotypes in the classroom. The teachers were shown pictures of 20 people. They were asked to determine the race of the people in the photographs. The teachers discussed the race of each person based … Continue reading →

Top Ten Male Stereotypes

What is a stereotype? It is generally an idea or a perception about a specific demographic that may have some truth to it but is not likely to be true of all persons in that demographic. Still, we all tend to hold common stereotypes of certain people in mind. What are some common stereotypes when it comes to men? Here are ten, in no particular order: 1. Men have a difficult time relinquishing the remote control. 2. Speaking of remote controls, many men would have one for everything if it were possible. 3. Men will watch a show they’ve already … Continue reading →