Are you nourishing the Lady GaGa in your

For centuries the latest trends in fashion and entertainment have been strengthened head on by the young people in society. As adolescence propels them into the journey of growth and development they begin early searching for the crowd they fit into. Many do not want to be different and stand out because they are unlearned and unpracticed in lack of acceptance.

The first day of school premieres an introduction, to the reality of unfamiliarity. As the saying goes "familiarity breeds content." At home mommy, daddy, siblings and pets are a continuous source of love, attention, recognition, and security, What exists in the home environment is "normal." All diversions evoke feelings like weird, interesting, exciting, scary,wrong, and so on.

When negative feelings are aroused from these deviations from the norm, negative responses come out such as teasing, bullying, withdrawal, lashing out, and so on. In comparison pleasant feelings evoke positive acknowledgment.

With that said, how do you introduce your child to diversity at home? Social Studies lessons at school are not enough to help a child understand differences in people and their culture. Much less those with disabilities that may appear to make them different, yet at the heart of us all, are just people . The chances of your child acclimating effectively outside of the home setting, is dependent on your examples and teaching of respect for all.

Moreover, the knowledge and acceptance of who they are first, then how people differ around the world especially here in America, the official "Melting Pot." The worst things I've ever witnessed in reference to this, were family members who criticized kids for being different and urged them to be "like" others. This causes confusion but worse, self esteem issues. Benjamin Franklin was different, Abraham Lincoln was different, President Obama was different, Martin Luther King Jr. was different, Helen Keller, Chagall, Ellen DeGeneres, Pavarotti, Michael Jordan. The list goes on but as I started with, even the bizarre Lady Gaga, who embraces and capitalizes on her uniqueness. She recently announced during one of her 8 acceptance speeches of the VMA's 2010, that her next album is called "Born This Way."

Let's teach our children that different is not a bad word, this will help them understand first they don't have to change for anyone and second no one has to change for them. Your child will be less likely to submit to major transgression due to peer pressure. Different does not mean alone, bringing our differences together makes for a pretty palate of enriching colors and in our world today, different means the next billion dollar trend.

Thanks for reading and remember to please support my efforts by subscribing for free, it is easy and fast! Just click subscribe and enter your email address to receive alerts when relevant topics that are posted, you will never receive spam. Always remember: "There will always be dreams grander or humbler than your own, but there will never be a dream exactly like your own... for you are unique and more wondrous than you know!" Linda Staten.
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