It's nice to think about having our kids grow up in a world free of hate, discrimination, and filled with tolerant people, right? So, if we want our kids to grow up in this type of environment, we have to set the tone for them. All children deserve the right to feel loved, and included after all. We cannot trust teachers, or others to teach them tolerance, we have to do it ourselves. Here are a few ways you can teach your child about culture.

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1. Teach your children another language.

"The gift of languages is one of the best gifts that parents can give to their children, and one that they will treasure for the rest of their lives. It will not only broaden their horizon and give them the possibility to communicate with more people around the world, learn about different cultures and have better job opportunities, but it will most likely also broaden their minds. Being aware of different languages and cultures from an early age will make cultural diversity more natural to children. It will therefore encourage them to be more open-minded and see cultural and linguistic differences not as an intercultural communication barrier, but rather as an asset and a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other’s differences" - HERE

2. Cook ethnic foods at mealtimes.

One woman writes: "My family lives near a major university, so we have been very fortunate to meet families from all over the world, including China, India, Germany, and Spain. One year, our community organized an “Intercontinental Cuisine” dinner where everyone signed on to bring dishes from their country. Over 100 people dined on sushi, curries, Wiener Schnitzel, paella, and more. There was music playing from these different cultures as well. Some of us even got an instant foreign language lesson from some of the language professors who attended. Thankfully, you don’t have to have access to a university to accomplish this. Simply reach out to folks in your town, or maybe one of your child’s friends comes from a different country, and have a pot luck. This is a delicious way to introduce kids to new cultures." - HERE

3. Select a diverse school for your child.

If this is something you really wish, you can always start the child off while they are younger at a more diverse school. Having the child SEE diversity first hand is important, and this allows them to do so. "Give kids opportunities to work and play with others who are different from them. When choosing a school, day camp, or child-care facility for your child, find one with a diverse population." - HERE

4. Select books, toys, and games from other countries.

"Select books, toys, music, art, and videos carefully. Keep in mind the powerful effect the media and pop culture have on shaping attitudes." -HERE

5. Encourage international pen pals.

"Find out about pen pals for your kids in other countries. Have kids pick a pen pal and start writing to or emailing them. Kids who build up relationships with people in other countries will end up being more globally aware. With the prevalence of email and social media these days, this is easier than ever. My kids’ school has had great success with this in years past using Kid World Citizen, a great resource to locate international pen pals."- HERE

Also, by encouraging international pen pals, you are encouraging the child to learn about life outside of their own culture. You can also get them a pen pal through organizations like Compassion. Compassion, and other organizations have tables at festivals, you can always have the child self select who they wish to sponsor that way.

6. Teach them to treat people with respect.

"Remember that tolerance does not mean tolerating unacceptable behavior. It means that everyone deserves to be treated with respect — and should treat others with respect as well. Help your children feel good about themselves. Kids who feel badly about themselves often treat others badly. Kids with strong self-esteem value and respect themselves and are more likely to treat others with respect, too. Help your child to feel accepted, respected, and valued. " - HERE

7. Teach them about the arts.

"Incorporate the arts into your teachings. The arts can teach a wealth of understanding about what is important to people of different cultures, writes Tillman and Belgrave. Teach your children songs from different cultures and explain to them the meaning behind the songs. Allow your kids to use techniques from other cultures to create pieces of art. You can also read stories from different cultures, learn cultural dances or play games from other countries to expand your families' understanding of people from different cultures." - HERE

8. Show them videos about culture.

Videos like these help kids see things for themselves, and learn things on their own.

9. Let the child listen to music from other cultures.

Letting the child listen to music from other cultures shows them that its okay to accept other kinds of music that they wouldn't typically listen to.

10. Encourage them to have friends outside their race.

This exposes kids to diversity first hand, and helps them find new friends on there own.