• Big Heart World
    • About Big Heart World
    • Who’s Involved
    • Big Heart World FAQ
    • Big Heart World News
    • Contact Us
  • For Families
    • Big Heart Beats Album
    • Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast
    • Big Heart World Activities
    • The Big Heart World Book List
    • Big Heart World Vocabulary
    • Big Heart World Interactive
    • En Español
  • For Parents
    • Self-Care for Parents
    • Big Heart World Family Guide
    • Big Heart World Events
  • For Educators
    • Big Heart World Educators’ Guide
  • Blog
  • Big Heart World
    • About Big Heart World
    • Who’s Involved
    • Big Heart World FAQ
    • Big Heart World News
    • Contact Us
  • For Families
    • Big Heart Beats Album
    • Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast
    • Big Heart World Activities
    • The Big Heart World Book List
    • Big Heart World Vocabulary
    • Big Heart World Interactive
    • En Español
  • For Parents
    • Self-Care for Parents
    • Big Heart World Family Guide
    • Big Heart World Events
  • For Educators
    • Big Heart World Educators’ Guide
  • Blog
  • Big Heart World
    • About Big Heart World
    • Who’s Involved
    • Big Heart World FAQ
    • Big Heart World News
    • Contact Us
  • For Families
    • Big Heart Beats Album
    • Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast
    • Big Heart World Activities
    • The Big Heart World Book List
    • Big Heart World Vocabulary
    • Big Heart World Interactive
    • En Español
  • For Parents
    • Self-Care for Parents
    • Big Heart World Family Guide
    • Big Heart World Events
  • For Educators
    • Big Heart World Educators’ Guide
  • Blog
  • Big Heart World
    • About Big Heart World
    • Who’s Involved
    • Big Heart World FAQ
    • Big Heart World News
    • Contact Us
  • For Families
    • Big Heart Beats Album
    • Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast
    • Big Heart World Activities
    • The Big Heart World Book List
    • Big Heart World Vocabulary
    • Big Heart World Interactive
    • En Español
  • For Parents
    • Self-Care for Parents
    • Big Heart World Family Guide
    • Big Heart World Events
  • For Educators
    • Big Heart World Educators’ Guide
  • Blog
Blog
Home Data/News How to Reintegrate Kids into A Diverse Post-Pandemic World
Data/NewsDiversity and InclusionParenting
June 2, 2021 by Makeda Mays Green

How to Reintegrate Kids into A Diverse Post-Pandemic World

Makeda Spaking

The Covid-19 pandemic unleashed a global health crisis and exposed racial disparities, which, in many ways, heightened ongoing conversations about the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Now — after an unprecedented year marked by physical distancing and social unrest — parents are wondering how to effectively help their children return to a sense of “normalcy” and reconnect with others. As parents work to support this return, what’s “normal” has shifted: the national discussion of what matters is significantly different from pre-pandemic.

According to a recent social discourse analysis that my team and I conducted at Nickelodeon, concerns about children’s social and emotional health during Covid-19 is the second leading topic of conversation among parents of 2- to 5-year-old children (more than 130% higher than last year). This topic is only eclipsed by diversity (which grew by 2022% year over year), with an emphasis from parents on what they can do to raise awareness. That is not a typo — parents’ conversation about diversity has grown by more than two thousand percent.

Helping Children Leave the Family Bubble and Build Diverse Relationships

With the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement and a growing national focus on bias against the Asian American and Pacific Islander and Jewish communities, parents flocked online in the past year to learn more about how to raise their children to be more racially sensitive and accepting. Our research showed that white parents, in particular, are invested in ways to teach their children about racial diversity. Parents of color, meanwhile, are invested in looking for resources that showcase empowering portrayals of people who look like them.

Overall, parents across racial and ethnic groups are expressing a general interest in helping their kids develop healthy relationships with diverse individuals. As families physically isolated during the pandemic, kids spent more time with people of shared backgrounds and perspectives. As social restrictions now begin to lift around the country (albeit at different rates), parents say they are looking for rich opportunities to foster inclusivity and celebrate similarities and differences.  

Black Lives Matter
Help Your Kids Get Ready to Rejoin Our Diverse World

Based on my experience as a researcher and a mom, here are five ways to support children’s social and emotional development and help to reintegrate them into the diverse world in which we live:

  1. Try meals from different cultures

Visit ethnically diverse restaurants, or search for recipes of meals typically served in different countries to try authentic cuisine inspired by culinary traditions from around the world.

  1. Visit cultural museums

Take trips to local and national museums that introduce children to cultural icons and influences. For example, consider visiting the National Museum of African-American Music in Nashville, TN, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Washington, D.C. or the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA. (If you’re still visiting museums virtually, there are many ways to explore art and culture online. Google Arts & Culture is a great place to start.)

  1. Read diverse books

Visit the library and select a variety of material (e.g., graphic novels, comic books, fiction, and nonfiction) about people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to give children a well-rounded view of the many people and places that make up our world. First Book is sharing tips with Big Heart World on how to build a more diverse and inclusive home or classroom library and is sharing some titles that you might consider! 

  1. Attend art festivals

Spend time at outdoor festivals to experience paintings, sculptures, music, and dances that celebrate different cultural events and traditions.

  1. Support international kids’ film festivals

Attend kids’ film festivals that feature uplifting storylines and empowering portrayals of diverse characters, including BIPOC leads, in short and long-form films. If there aren’t any kids’ film festivals near you, curate your own at home using titles from other recent kids’ film festivals like this.

covid diversity inclusion parenting post-pandemic
78
Makeda Mays Green is VP, Nickelodeon Digital Consumer Insights and mom of three (ages 6, 10 and 16).
First Book Tips for Building a Diverse and Inclusive Home or Classroom LibraryFirst Book Tips for Building a Diverse and Inclusive Home or Classroom LibraryJune 2, 2021
Parenting With a Big Heart: Hear With RubyJune 2, 2021Parenting With a Big Heart: Hear With Ruby

Related Posts

Children Reading
BooksDiversity and Inclusion
June 2, 2021 by Becki Last

First Book Tips for Building a Diverse and Inclusive Home or Classroom Library

Read More
Diversity and InclusionFeelingsLearning
June 13, 2022 by Dana Stewart

Celebrate Freedom While Introducing Your Child to Challenging Ideas This Juneteenth

Read More

Comments (03)

  1. David Andrews
    June 2, 2021

    Very insightful and well presented.

    Reply
  2. Lou Hester Davis
    June 2, 2021

    Thanks for All your information which is very helpful and keeps us in our knowledgeable way of thinking during this pandemic.

    Reply
  3. Venezia Michalsen
    June 3, 2021

    Brilliant!! Great ideas.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activity Rating




Archives
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
Categories
  • Books
  • Care
  • Children
  • Confidence
  • Data/News
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • empathy
  • Feelings
  • Friendship
  • Helping
  • Kindness
  • Learning
  • Music
  • Parenting
  • Playing
  • Race
  • relationships
  • Similarities and Differences
  • Social Emotional
  • Upstanding
contacts_icon_03

support@bigheartworld.org

Twitter Facebook-f Instagram

Copyright © 2021 Sparkler Learning. Portions of this website under license from ViacomCBS.

Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

 Site design by Craver.