How to Teach Pupils to Have Higher Tolerance Levels

Teaching Pupils Tolerance

There’s nothing quite as endearing as the innocence of a child, yet sometimes, we need to help children along the way and provide them with a little help and guidance. If we truly want to change the world for the better, and give our children and the next generation of children, the best possible start in life, teaching them about tolerance, understanding, and morals, is a fantastic place to begin.

Children are incredibly impressionable and much of the values and core beliefs that they learn about at a young age, will help to shape them into the adults that they grow up to be. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking to teach your own children tolerance, or if perhaps, you’re a teacher looking to teach an entire class full, there are a number of things you can do to help get your message across. Here’s a look at a few simple and effective ways of teaching kids to be more tolerant.

Be a good role model

As mentioned, children are incredibly impressionable, so if you’re truly serious about teaching them to be more tolerant of others, you yourself must ensure you’re as tolerant as can be, and that you be the best role model that you can be. Make a conscious effort to be tolerant of others and to never make personal comments. Say for example, a shop worker gets your order wrong, although you’re entitled to be annoyed, never let your kids see this, and don’t let it result in you getting personal with the worker. We’re all human and we all make mistakes.

Teach about traditions and beliefs

We all have traditions in some way or another, with Christmas being a prime example. Embrace these traditions, teach the stories behind them, but on top of that, teach your children about other people’s traditions and beliefs, and make sure you emphasize the point that, just because you don’t celebrate them, or believe in them yourself, that that doesn’t make them any less significant.

Encourage them to socialise with children from other walks of life

Socialisation is an important part of a child’s development, and if you really want to help teach your child about tolerance, encouraging them to socialise with children of other races, and of other faiths, is a great place to begin. You could sign them up for summer camp, you could take them on days out to heavily populated areas, and you can encourage them to mingle with children at the park perhaps? The more they are around people with beliefs they weren’t previously aware of, the more acceptant they will become.

Teach them that it is good to be different

Let’s face it, if most people see a child, or a person for that matter, that looks different, or dresses differently, they are usually given unfair labels and are chastised and made fun of. When it comes to teaching tolerance, take the time to teach your child that it is good to be different as that is what makes us unique. Teach them that it is not acceptable to laugh at somebody, or make fun of them, because of their weight, their hair colour, how they look, how they dress, how they sound, or anything else for that matter.