What are the best ways to teach a child tolerance and respect?

[rhino47]

I am trying to raise my daughters to be loving respectful beings.I want them to understand other ethnicities and religions.I send them to catholic school but I also take them to explore other religions.(pagan wicca new age etc)They are 11 and 6.I live in an area that is not diverse.I want them to free thinkers not parrots.I have taken them also to several Kerry/Edwards rallies.They are aware of my actions/donations to civil rights orgs.However I would like to think I try to explain both sides of the political debate.What other steps should I take to ensure they have good exposure to the real america?
Thanks for any input in advance.
Sincerely Lindy

[1monster]

1. By example.

[MuseRider]

2. Exactly.

Perfect answer.

[lastknowngood]

3. Get them a dog. All I ever really needed to know about life I

learned from my dogs. Unconditional love, loyalty, devotion and forgiveness. The rest just kind of falls into place.

[rhino47]

5. we have a dog

I guess I`m worried because we live in a rural area that does not have any diversity at all.I`m afraid this will stunt their outlook.I explain to them that if we can not take protect everyones rights we all lose a piece of ourselves.It is hard to teach this by example when there are few opportunities in this area to do so.I do my best by donating to naacp(a cause that is dear to me) and making calls to stop the fma but I wonder if this is enough of an example.

[Guy Fawkes]

4. Give them some books to read...

Dr. Schlesinger and Tammy Bruce are good moderate to conservative, and Al Franken and Michael Moore are good liberal writers.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

6. All of the above

Demonstrate tolerance and respect. Give them responsibility. And open them to knowledge. And understand they are not "you."

[Kenneth ken]

7. since

you send them to catholic school, I will assume you have some degree of Christian faith; so refer as often as necessary to that Jesus thing that talks about how you treat the least among you is how you treat me (or whatever that is...I know it's something, but I'm not a Chirstain, so I don't know the passages)

I think that's a good philosophy for looking at the world and treating others, even though I'm not a Christian. It doesn't really have to be limited to just people, either. You can also show them how other people extend that same attitude to animals, etc.

[HEyHEY]

8. Intimidation

No seriously, I think you have to be that way (loving and caring), and they'll follow suite.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Let them see you *DO* tolerance and respect

Whatever you say will be superbly reinforced if they see you doing it; and what you say will be utterly ignored if they see you doing something opposite. And if you can get them into an environment in whcih they are seeing a lot of adults *doing* tolerance and respect, that will be immensely helpful, too.

And it's okay for them to see your intolerance of the rightwing zealots who have no respect or tolerance for anyone or anything. :-)

Sounds like you're doing a hell of a good as it is, though. Kudos to you!!

[NashVegas]

18. What He Said

If you live in a segregated part of town, get over to the other sides more. If you have friends at work who are of different ethnic backgrounds than yourself, make them your friends at home, too.

And the first place they'll learn respect is straight from your own hands. Show them your respect. Show them you aren't going to take any disrespectful crap from them.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. Be loving and respectful...especially to them

You might be on the lookout for good books you can read together and talk about. Ask their opinions about issues without being judgemental. I think that's especially important for girls.

I suspect you don't really need advice; because your instincts are right on target. :hi:

[rhino47]

11. Great Idea Goddess

I will try to ask their opinions more on world events.I do try to shield the 6 year old more from the news .I do not bring it up unless she asks a question.The 11 year old I talk rather freely with.
You bring up a good point as to not talk down to children.
I do not know about you but that used to really piss me off when I was a kid.
Any suggestions on good books ?
I read alot.I just got through Oscar Wildes Poems.They enjoyed them.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. "Girls Who Looked Under Rocks"

by Jeannine Atkins
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1584690119/qid=1093674592/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-5996864-1552708?v=glance&s=books

These are stories about women naturalists from the 1600s through the present.

The classic Charlotte's Web is a great story with so many lessons included...tolerance, patience, dealing with grief and fear. My six year old is enjoying it. So am I, again. :)

[1monster]

13. Charlotte's Web always makes me cry. Still.

[Dirty Hippie]

14. Volunteer as a family to help those less fortunate.

Serve at a homeless shelter, participate in food drives etc.

No better way to teach compassion, tolerance and respect for others.

[Cheswick2.0]

15. Read to them

Read to them even when they are old enough to read to themselves. REad them books where the characters struggle with matters of ethical behavior and tollerance. The children don't have to read specifically about each group of people to learn tollerance. But it doesn't hurt to check out the book store for books about other ethnic groups.
May I suggest some of my favorites from when I was a girl:

Little Women
Little House on the Prairie
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Johnny Tremain
The Secret Garden
Sneetches
Member of the Wedding
The Bluest Eye (not for the little one yet)

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Do volunteer work like food pantries and soup kitchens and take them

with you to assist.

For example Christmas mornings you'll find me at a soup kitchen, preparing the holiday meal and holiday bags full of necessities to give to the homeless. Lots of high school kids surround me and I'm very proud of their desire to be there.

[atommom]

17. You've gotten some great replies here. I agree that learning by example

is best. If they never hear you speaking judgementally about people who are "different," they will learn that being judgemental is wrong. My mother used to really annoy me when I was a child, by explaining the other person's side every time I complained about someone or something. But by doing so, she taught me to stop and think before passing judgement.

[radwriter0555]

19. get them out of that school to begin with. they'll be filled with nothing

but wild contradictions that have no relativity to life.

They don't need religions to learn about life; religions serve little purpose in this day and age. Children learn from the people they're surrounded with, how to be good people.

Set the example. Children learn by their parents example. Work at soup kitchens, clean up beaches, read to seniors, volunteer at animal shelters.

Politics has nothing to do with religion. And screw the whole both sides of the debate thing, children should be raised as liberals. Liberals are free thinkers. There is noting to be gained from teaching kids any of those so-called conservative values, that's as bad as that religious crap. Most importantly, keep it simple. Kids don't want to be preached to. State your case very simply and let them think about it and ask questions. Stand for what YOU believe in, and let them follow your example.