As a child psychologist, I want to bring more resources, tips, and suggestions for parents and caregivers through a culturally-relevant lens. This week on the podcast and in the blog- Notes From A Child Psychologist, we discuss why representation matters.
As always, you can listen to the whole conversation here.
In this week's blog post, I want to share 3 Ways Adults Can Encourage Representation and Diversity In Their Child(rens) Lives. In the podcast episode, I share my insights on the groundbreaking study of The Doll Experiment and how it highlights the importance of representation.
Diversity and representation in books
Are your child's books representative of them? Young children and adolescents will value books with stories that mirror their own. In last week's episode, I shared the importance of choosing culturally relevant books and sharing similar stories and backgrounds with your family. In the podcast show notes, you will find a resource of books to support conversations on race.
Diversity and representation in media
In this week's podcast, I shared my insights on the famous Doll Test - a study conducted in the 1940s to examine the psychological effects of segregation on African-American children. Negative images of black people and culture can damage a child's perception of themselves.
Adults and caregivers can promote positive images of black people and culture to combat these images. It will also be necessary for parents to ask their children how they feel about the media they consume.
Diverse friend groups
Children and adolescents learn social skills by interacting with their peers. By having a mix of friends that they can identify with, they perform better, both socially and academically. Diversity also encourages compassion and understanding for different races and cultures.
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