Different types of family, and some attitudes will never change

[Gemini]

Near the entrance to my 6 year old grandson's school is a poster. It is where we can see it when we wait for the children, and the children can see it too.
It is about family, and love. And listed are different ways of being a family, showing that whatever form your family takes love is the important thing. A good message and one most people would agree with.
It lists Mum and Dad, Just Mum, Mum and Mum, Mum and Stepdad, Dad and Dad, Grandma and Granddad etc. I can't remember exactly what they all are, but you get the idea - not all families are mum and dad, but are still a family.

Recently DD was in the playground and one of the dads was saying how he wanted his son to be brought up like a proper boy, and to know how things should be. He didn't like how the school told them that it was OK to be in a same sex relationship. She told me he said 'It may be legal now, but its not right, is it?!
My daughter is highly educated, extremely civilised and polite and non confrontational by nature. The most laid back of all my three.
However she stands up for what she believes in!
She told him that her son was brought up to respect any form of loving relationship, and that in fact his Grandma was married to a lady. That E and the rest of the family thought it was wonderful and normal in our family, and that E thought of us both as Grandmas and loved us both!
DD said she had never seen anyone backpedal so quickly. He said he 'wasn't being funny', that he know someone like that they were a nice person etc!!
The saddest thing about this, DD said was that he was in his 20's. We do expect this from some older people, but surely not in the young generation.
I was very proud of my DD for doing this, it is easier to keep quiet.

[Plantaholic]

Well perhaps he learned something that day, well done her.

[Oma]

Sadly Gem there is always one individual who has draconian ideas ,
He may have been brought up with a Father with those views and it rubs off ,
Although these days there cant be many young people who don't have at least 1 gay friend ,or a acquaintance who is Gay .or a work colleague

Good for your DD I bet your very proud ,
Love is love no matter what form it takes , the world is a hard place we need more love and laughter and our children to be brought up not to judge it but to accept not all families are alike .

[Daisy]

I hope what your DD said made this young man pause and think, and hopefully broaden his outlook. As Oma says, his own family may be an influence on him. There's not enough love in the world, but it's what we all cry out for.

I've seen teenage students in utter turmoil about their sexuality and the main worry was usually their parents, often their father. If children can grow up in a loving and tolerant world everyone benefits.

[Mimi]

Did anyone see ‘ Back in time for school ‘ on the BBC . It’s been for quite a few weeks now. It starts back in the Edwardian/ Victorian era and each week they do a different decade.
What struck me was in the 20s/30s children were taught that Coloured ( their words not mine ) people were basically savages and they weren’t able to comprehend any sort of education. This would be why there was so much hatred when in the 50s people from the Caribbean and other common wealth countries came here.
It’s taken years for that way of thinking to be reversed so I think we are a long way till same sex relationships are accepted by a good percentage of the general public. I find it really disturbing that a lot of the younger generation are quite anti same sex relationships .
Lets hope all schools take the same attitude as Gems GS’s

[Sunshine]

Thank goodness it is, at last , not only be accepted, but also promoted that a family is a family no matter what the sexual orientation of the members of that family are. Surely it is far better to be brought up into a loving family whatever the sex or colour of the members of that family are. Hopefully Gem’s DD talk with a very out dated dad, will give him food for thought. Luckily the little boy will get a positive message through his school. Let’s face it, we can’t CHOOSE who we fall in love with.

[Nanto2girls]

I agree with all above comments. Live and let live i say.

[Shemadee]

DD1 and her friends set up a Saturday morning toddler group as it can be hard for working mums to meet new friends. The OH of one of her friends was outraged when he saw his toddler son ‘playing’ with a doll’s pushchair! He actually bellowed at the little one saying “Are you gay or something?” The little boy was actually racing around and crashing the pushchair into things but I was amazed that someone would feel so threatened in this day and age.

[Gemini]

Astounding isn't it Shem?!!

[Sunshine]

I saw similar reactions Shemadee from parents when I worked in the nursery. Role play is important to help children understand their world. I would actively encourage the boys to develop their caring side. This prepares them for life much better than fighting their way through. I was also very aware that I must respect the parents wishes. It is often said “boys will be boys” A balance is called for! I encouraged this by playing games with teddies in toddler trucks, (as well as dolls in pushchairs). We role played visiting a building site to look at the new houses. I would also encourage the girls to use Duplo or Lego to build the walls of the new houses. The children made junk models of the houses and/or drew pictures of the houses they had visited. This sort of teaching enables children to develop into rounded individuals. It is just as important to help our little girls develop strong characters as help our little boys develop their caring side. Gone are the days when the boys helped daddy wash the car while the girls helped mummy cook the dinner!!!