By: Karissa Arce
“Ysa, you’re a woman, right? So that means it’s your birthday today!”
Two things I need to address there. First, my student is not sure if I am a woman that he had to ask to make sure (love it! Not assuming gender based on appearance) second, no, it’s not my birthday. But I do know why he thought it was my birthday. Some of our children have been talking about “Women’s Month” and the way they understand it is that “it’s our moms one month birthday celebration.”
Since 1987, March has been designated as National Women’s History Month. We decided to talk about this to our students. To help them understand what it means and how it relates to them.
We talked about influential women figures from their country and what significant actions or contributions they did that were being valued or experienced today. It turned out to be a very interesting conversation for the children because they started to recognize other people’s (regular people that they know) actions that they consider good and helpful. Of course we made sure that the boys will not feel left out even if we did explain why women are being celebrated, they actually said “don’t they love their mommies before? Why did they not allow them to do some things?” That’s a very good question coming from a 5-year-old boy! It was a productive topic and it made me feel proud that these children are showing awareness of their environment. Such smart and intuitive creatures!
Talking to children about social awareness when it comes to world celebrations can be beneficial because it helps them connect more to the world. They don’t need to know the heavy details yet but having an idea as to why it is being celebrated gives them a sense of responsibility and promotes a positive outlook. It also gives them basic knowledge about civic duties – my actions can affect the people around me and the community I live in therefore, I will practice being mindful. It also develops empathy and appreciation. It helps shape them as our future citizens.
To all the amazing women who fought for rights and freedom that we are experiencing today, thank you so much! I value all your contributions. I am forever thankful for the privilege your efforts have given me. Happy Women’s Month!