Diversity is the Spice of Life

One thing I love about working in schools and daycares is the different types of families I get to encounter. Not everyone comes from the born in America, married mom and dad in one house, one son one daughter family that I do. And personally I think that's wonderful, we should all learn from each other's differences and experiences.

I've had a little boy whose father was transitioning to be a woman. A 5 year old little boy who just loved what he called his "Maddy" (Mom + Dad). His Maddy would come pick him up from daycare in the evening and you could tell this was once a man. This kid has been in fights with the older kids who couldn't grasp a man becoming a woman and tried to explain to him about needing certain chromosomes and whatnot but he didn't care. And he shouldn't care what other's think, he knows who loves and takes care of him at home.

I have a little girl whose mother recently went back to China while her and her father are still here. I don't know the whole situation but it has an effect on her.

I've had kids of divorced homes, kids of gay parents, kids of interracial families, kids of single parent homes, kids who had another sibling on the way, kids whose parents were going through custody battles and we've had restraining orders on file preventing one parent from coming on the property, I also had a kid who was born in Iraq, his English was ok but his father didn't really speak it which made for a very interesting parent-teacher conference.

One time I had a deaf infant. She was so happy and adorable though. And luckily she was born to very loving parents.

I had one little girl who was 2 years old and her grandmother had custody because both of her parents were involved in drugs. Her mother had died recent to the time I was working with her but when she would play with the toy phones in the room she would always try to call her mommy. Her dad regained custody but we did not have the paperwork from the courts yet so legally he could not come pick her up by himself his mother who had custody needed to be with him. One night he called and said he was coming to get her alone and I was by myself in that class with her. The director stayed in the building with me to make sure he didn't try to take her by himself. Luckily he did show up with the grandmother and it didn't get ugly.

I have two little twin boys who have divorced gay mothers. I don't know if they were ever really married or they're just broken up but my point is they don't live together anymore. I've had kids with gay parents before but never have I had kids having to deal with having gay parents AND divorced parents. I think it'll be interesting to see how boys of two mommies grow up, let alone divorces mommies. But they love both of their mommies equally and they are the happiest little boys.

My point of all this is that I love to learn about the different types of families that can exist. I look at it as another way I can learn from my babies. Never stop education yourself.