Welcoming Families From Around the World

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

For week’s 7 blog assignment the name of the country of family’s country of origin I chose is Ireland. The following are some of the ways in which you would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family:

·      Research some basic things about people from Ireland may be their custom, food, traditions, dressing, greetings, address people, how to comfort a child, children upbringing, and so on.

·      If it’s possible I would call the parents to welcome them and introduce myself. Ask them if there is anything they have as per resources that could help their child settling down.

·      Ask the parents about their expectation of the child. I would probably ask some of the things they do with the child at home just to help me understand a little bit more about the child.

·      Prepare the mind of the children in the class before the arrival of the new child in the area of diversity.

·      Adjust my program to meet the needs of the child and his parents if possible and paste the picture about culture in Ireland with the other cultural picture.

·      Ask him to bring something about his culture in order to learn more about is culture.

·      Include group activities that do not emphasize competitiveness.

·      Watch for signs of discomfort while children are participating in activities.

·      Do not allow other children to tease newcomers because of the way they carry out routines, such as eating where they may use utensils differently or they may be fed at home and do not know how to eat on their own.

·      Having patient with the child as he’s struggling between the language of his origin and English and as he’s getting use to the new environment.

There is much one can do to help children feel more comfortable and acquire the skills that will prepare them for school. Adjusting the program to meet the needs of new child does not necessarily require additional resources but does involve knowing and understanding the child. Also adjustment the program would make accommodation for the child and his family in the class. The best source of information about the child would be the parents in order to know their expectation about the child and get the information that would help the child settle down. Having prepared the mind of the children about the new child by teaching them diversity would reduce the stereotype and discrimination issues the child may encounter. Patient would make the class and the environment more conducive for the child to learn and develop. Being able to speak some basic things in their language would show respect and the interest in the family and it would strengthen my relationship with the child and his family. It would really be helpful to the child if I could watch out for signs of discomfort probably before other children are aware of it and start making jest of him. When you greet the children in your child care setting on any given day, you likely welcome into your group children who speak different languages and are accustomed to different cultural and social practices. What all of these children do share are two things: The time they spend together with you, and their need to become ready for the school setting (Colbert,n.d.).