Supporting Diversity and Equity

This article discusses the importance of educating children about sexuality and the role of parents and early childhood educators in shaping the sexual development of children. It also provides appropriate strategies to respond to children's questions and behaviors and highlights the legal and ethical responsibilities of parents and educators. The case of Annie is used to illustrate the importance of informing children about their sexuality.

Running head: SUPPORTING DIVERSITY AND EQUITY
Supporting Diversity and Equity
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SUPPORTING DIVERSITY AND EQUITY 2
Supporting Diversity and Equity
Abstract
Great growth and developmental milestones occur in the first five years of life. The
child continues to actively grow and develop until they are about 18 years of age. After this
age, most government defines the person to be a grown up. During early childhood, a child
learns greatly from their environment. It is necessary that parent/guardians inform their
children appropriately concerning sexuality. Most parents shy away but this may be
detrimental to the development of the child. The case of Annie is a clear illustration of the
knowledge children gain from their environment and why it is necessary for teachers and
parents to inform their children regarding sexuality.

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Table of Contents
Supporting Diversity and Equity........................................................................................................2
Abstract................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction.........................................................................................................................................4
Children’s Sexual Behaviour..............................................................................................................4
Appropriate Strategies to Respond to Children’s Questions and/or Behaviours...........................6
Legal and Ethical Responsibilities......................................................................................................7
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................8
References............................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
Children have great learning abilities (Clayton, 2010). They learn lots of things from
the environment. The nature of the environment that children grow up in is important in
shaping their behaviour. If the behaviours of childhood are not well regulated by the
parents/guardian and early child hood teachers, they might persist into adulthood (Radunsky,
2004). Every child on the universe has a right to decisions made for their best interest
(Morawska, Walsh, Grabski and Fletcher, 2015). It is important for a parent/guardian to
ensure that they educate their children about sexuality and address all questions that they may
have. This will help the child grow well as sexuality is a normal part of life and development
of a child.
The case of Annie illustrates the fact that it is important to inform children about their
sexuality. The teacher approaches the issue by explaining to Annie the differences that exist
between boys and girls. This knowledge is important for the class because the children have a
right to be taught about the same. Children feel good when their issues are addressed. This is
evidenced by Annie who becomes happy after the teacher addresses her question.
Children’s Sexual Behaviour
Children go through various developmental stages (Breuner, Mattson and Committee
on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, 2016). Extensive evidence has shown
that phenomenal growth and development occurs in the first five years of life. The emotional
and social development of children is determined by several factors. Some of these factors
are gene and biology. The factors that surround a child play a great role in influencing the
understanding of their environments. It also greatly affects their social and sexual

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development. At this period, the children are usually unaware of what is right and what is
wrong. It is the process of socialization that shapes their views on various issues. Due to this,
parents and early childhood education teachers have a key role in shaping the proper growth,
development and wellbeing of children. It is worth noting that children learn about their
gender differences from as early as three to five years. Some parents are usually surprised
when their children exhibit some behaviour related to sexuality that they did not expect for
the age of the child. It is worth noting that children could have boyfriends or girlfriends even
at preschool age. There is a unique thing with them however. This is that they do not attach
the same feelings and seriousness to boy girl relationships as the adults do.
For a parent or a caregiver to intervene appropriately to the sexual development of
their children, it is necessary that they take part in the process (Hyam, 2017). They should
educate the children appropriately regarding the differences that exist between girls and boys
and why it is important to ensure that they are careful and behave well. Extensive evidence
has revealed that the sexual development of the child is likely to be normal and without
challenges if the parent/guardian is involved in shaping the views that their children have
concerning sexuality (Simon, 2017). Another group that is crucial in shaping the sexual
development of the child is the teachers (Kitzinger, 2015). Children spend most of their time
either at home or at school (Brennan and Graham, 2012). The good thing is that the early
childhood educators are trained on child psychology and they know how to appropriately
respond to the various needs of a child.
The case of Annie sheds light to the issue of child sexuality. It is evident that she has
learnt some information concerning the differences that exist between boys and girls. In other
words, she is already aware that she is a girl and she is different from boys. It is worth noting
that sexual development is a normal part of growth and development of a child. The teacher
reacts to her words in a professional and understanding way. Unlike most parents and

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guardians, the teacher appreciates that Annie have learnt something significant to her life and
it is important to give her the information that is necessary for her proper growth and
development. She also acts in a professional way by informing the mum. The mum is one of
the parties that are influential in the growth and development of Annie. It is sad to note that
most guardians/ parents do not inform their children about sexual development. They leave
the children to learn this from an external environment.
Appropriate Strategies to Respond to Children’s Questions and/or
Behaviours
The questions or behaviours that children have are usually based what they learn from
their environment. It is unlikely that a child will learn that they are different from the other
sex without having a source of information about the same. Due to this, it is necessary that
parents/ guardians learn about proper ways of parenting and taking care of their children.
With the proper learning, parents would be better equipped to handle the sexual development
of their children. whenever a child raises any issue concerning sexuality, whether through
questions or through their behaviour, it is not wise to ignore or to be harsh. The best move is
to give loving care and attention to the child and give them the right information regarding
sexual development (Rowley and Edwards, 2007). It is very unwise to wait until the child
learns about sexuality from other persons apart from the parent or the guardian for they might
be guided wrongly. There are many cases where children have been misguided by people
with ill motives (Moore and Reynolds, 2018). Most of the times, these people are usually
close to the child and it is not easy to suspect them. In some cases, the child might be
sexually abused. Such abuse usually goes unnoticed for the children are advised or

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intimidated not to notify any person. It is therefore important that parents and early childhood
educators guide children appropriately.
The case of Annie demonstrates that children learn about their sexuality. The response
of the teacher is great and educative. The teacher ensures that Annie is informed on the
differences that exist between boys and girls. The teacher also makes a wise move by
informing the mother about the situation that Annie is in. The teacher could work together
with the mother to ensure that Annie is appropriately informed and monitored.
Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
A child is usually under the care of parents/guardians or their teacher. These are the
people that children spend most of their time with. The primary role of taking care of the
child is vested on the parents/guardians by law. They are supposed to observe all the rights
that children are entitles to. Parents /guardians are expected to make decisions that are in the
best interest of the child. Part of the caring process is to ensure that children are equipped
with appropriate information to optimal growth and development (Kilodavis and DeSimone,
2010). Offering children such information and monitoring them is for their best interest.
Early childhood educators are also tasked with ensuring that they offer the highest level of
education and care possible to the children. They should work hand in hand with the parents.
The case of Annie illustrates this situation and its importance in great way.

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Conclusion
Children learn greatly from their environment. Extensive evidence show that
phenomenal growth occurs during the first five years of life. During early childhood, a child
spends most of their time either at school or at home. It is therefore necessary that the right
care and education be carried out at the two places. The parents have a primary role of
ensuring that a child grows in an environment that favours their wellbeing (Ringrose, 2016).
It is important that the parent educate their children regarding sexuality and the differences
that are based on gender. If the parent does not inform the child in a loving and a caring way,
they might get the information from other people who are not well meaning. These people
may misdirect the child and even take advantage of their innocence. It is therefore that the
parent/ guardian be sure to guide their children well. The early childhood educators also have
a huge role to play when it comes to the issue of sexuality.
The case of Annie illustrates very well that children learn about sexuality in from the
environment. While the approach of many parents or guardians is to be silent on matters
relating to sexuality, the teacher employs a different approach. The approach is ensuring that
the child becomes aware of their sexuality. In addition to this, the teacher also notifies the
mother about the situation probably with the aim of ensuring that the child is appropriately
informed and taken care of.

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References
Brennan, H. & Graham, J. (2012). Is this normal? Family Planning Queensland.
Breuner, C. C., Mattson, G., & Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family
Health. (2016). Sexuality education for children and adolescents. Paediatrics, 138(2),
e20161348.
Clayton, D. (2010). An awesome book of thanks. Amazon Encore.
Hyam, R. (2017). Empire and sexuality: the British experience.
Kitzinger, J. (2015). Who are you kidding? Children, power and the struggle against sexual
abuse. In Constructing and reconstructing childhood (pp. 163-184). Routledge.
Moore, A., & Reynolds, P. (2018). Conclusion: Reconciling Childhood and Sexuality. In
Childhood and Sexuality (pp. 247-266). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Morawska, A., Walsh, A., Grabski, M., & Fletcher, R. (2015). Parental confidence and
preferences for communicating with their child about sexuality. Sex Education, 15(3),
235-248.
Radunsky, V. (2004). What does peace feel like? Athaneum Books for Young Readers.
Kilodavis, C. & DeSimone, (2010). My princess boy. Aladdin.
Ringrose, J. (2016). Children, sexuality and sexualization. Springer.
Rowley, T., Edwards, J. (2007). Everyone's got a bottom. Family Planning Queensland.
Simon, W. (2017). Sexual conduct: The social sources of human sexuality. Routledge.