Assignment

In order to acknowledge and understand the diversity of childrearing beliefs and practices among families, you must first acknowledge and understand your own beliefs and practices about childrearing. Exploring and analyzing your own history and its effects on your behavior may assist you in creating a better understanding and compassion for the families with which you are entrusted to support. Please review the section on Cultural Models and Child-Rearing Practices (pages 57-62) and write a 2-page reflection essay discussing your own child-rearing beliefs and practices and how these beliefs might influence your work with diverse families.

Discuss how these topics do or do not influence you today and how they might have an effect on your work with diverse families. Stay focused on relevant information concerning the implications for your work with young children and their families.

• History: family history of ethnic origin, language(s), geography, and immigration

• Growing up: where you grew up, pattern of movement or stability, and your family of origin structure

• Your current family or living structure

• Values of independence or interdependence

• Discipline approaches

• Attitudes toward disability

• Influence of racism

• Family structure

• Parents' roles

• Caregiver-child communication

• Medical practices.