Say it with a Poem!
Something we all share is feelings. Several years ago, Amy Maddox, a 16-year-old student at Franklin Community High School in Bargersville, Indiana, wrote a wonderfully expressive poem:
Underneath We're All the Same
He prayed -- it wasn't my religion.
He ate -- it wasn't what I ate.
He spoke -- it wasn't my language.
He dressed -- it wasn't what I wore.
He took my hand -- it wasn't the color of mine.
But when he laughed -- it was how I laughed,
And when he cried -- it was how I cried.
• Read this poem aloud to your child/children.
• Ask them what they think it means.
• See if they can think of some examples of this among their friends.
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For children to thrive in our ever-changing world, it becomes more and more important for parents, teachers and other childcare providers to help children recognize how people are alike, as well as how they are different and the guide them to learn to respect differences. Adults should encourage children to like and respect themselves for who they are-children need to feel good about their own uniqueness to grow up to be adults who accept others just as they are. The goals are to have children appreciate both themselves and others, and to recognize how we can all learn from each other.