In Molly's Family by Nancy Garden we see kindergarten children getting ready for Open School Night. Every child's family is invited to visit. Children start drawing their families and then putting their drawings on the wall. Little boy Tommy looks at the picture Molly has drawn and he comments that her family is not a real family because she has two mothers. After talking to her family, Molly realizes that even if her family is different from others, it is still happy, loving and real family. In the class teacher encouraged Molly that should should bring the drawings she felts uncomfortable to leave on the wall of school classroom. Teacher encouraged everybody to bring their families and she pointed out that families can be all kinds and that they can all come to the Open School Night.
I understand that representing homosexuality in children's books can be controversial in the school.
Coming from the culture where homosexuality is not explicitly shown or as accepted I find this children'book completely new and mind opening to all my understanding of homosexuality. Would I be able to use it in the classroom? That is very relative. It would depend on the type of community where I would teach, how liberal people are, to which extent they accept idea of homosexuality being explained to children.
If the community, principal and the school board would not have anything against me teaching this book I would then do it.
I personally am still adjusting to this aspect of my new country. However, I do think it would be good to teach children that differently organized families do exist and I believe children should be aware of that even if it may be against their parents' religious belief.
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