![]() I asked my kids what they thought of whenever they bit into a piece a bun and cheese. One kid said to me that it made her think of rainbows... The other kid said that it made him happy. Then they started talking to each other and apparently bun and cheese makes them happy because it makes them think about rainbows and rainbows make them happy. Kid logic… I recently watched a video where they were talking about bun and cheese (among other snack items). One of the commentators put forwards a sentiment that I totally agreed with; bun and cheese was "a warm hug of a snack." Now that I'm thinking about it, I can see where the kids came by their rainbow-happiness comparison. Bun and cheese has a history steeped in the colonialism of Jamaica but for us kids, it was always about that snack that could both fill you up and feel like dessert at the same time. Whether at lunchtime or after school, you could always buy bun and cheese because it was both quick and cheap. The shopkeeper would just cut open a round bun right there in the plastic, slip in a thick slice of tin cheese, and send you on your way. If you were at home you probably had a loaf of bun that you would slice so that you could put the cheese in between. Which ever way you decided to eat it though, it always tasted so much better when you squeezed it down to flatten it. I never figured out what made it taste so much better when you made it dense, but it was always just so good. If you're in an area with a significant Jamaican population, you might find that as we go into the Easter season, Easter bun is now on sale. Regular bun and cheese is available year-round, but nothing and we mean absolutely nothing compares to Easter bun. It could be the extra fruit in the Easter bun or maybe the fancy packaging, but whatever the reason, Easter bun was always worth the wait. Seeing as I just rushed into the store to buy some, trust me on this. Walk good until next time, Bobbi by Wendy Iacobello ![]() In today’s climate, diversity is not only apparent everywhere, but tolerance to diverse cultures is a must. There are so many amazing cultures all over the world. At Irie Camp Jamaica, all cultures and children are included in this special camp that strives to teach diversity and focuses on the appreciation as well as exposure of the Jamaican culture. How can you teach diversity to children? Metzler, Ph.D (2009) proposes that, “Children don't come with instructions, but they do come with open minds. Much of what they learn about respecting differences comes from their parents.” Teaching children about other cultures begins at home and parents today can find several opportunities to expose their children to the diverse backgrounds of people so they can appreciate and understand the wonderful traits of others who are different from themselves. Irie Camp Jamaica is a perfect place to experience the Jamaican culture with children from all over the world. According to Metzler, “Teaching our children to accept differences may require that we use the power of the internet to learn about differences, that we seek out cultural activities that are out of our community and explore the strength and value in diversity.” There are many ways to expose children to other backgrounds that will influence them to better understand the concepts of diversity. Another strategy is to “Try to create opportunities for children to interact and make friends with people who are different from them. As you know, children learn best from concrete experiences” (Gonzalez-Mena & Pulido-Tobiassen, 1999). When children can be proud of their own heritage, they are more likely to be open to learning about others. Teaching diversity to children also allows room for them to be open about their own culture. Gonzalez-Mena & Pulido-Tobiassen explain that, “The more that children have a solid grounding and understanding about who they are and where they came from, the more they learn to move with grace and confidence among communities different from their own, and the closer we get to building a world of respect, curiosity, sharing, and humanity.” Learning to respect and appreciate different cultures is an important concept and life skill. Teaching children openness and sensitivity to other heritages different from their own begins at home. There are numerous activities that can reinforce these concepts and Irie Camp Jamaica is one that will leave a positive and lasting impression on those who attend. Metzler goes on to say that, “Rather than teach children the correct labels or names for people, let's teach them that differences are only a part of who we are. It is not the total of who we are.” Teaching about diversity is not only important for many of the reasons mentioned above, but it can also help children find similarities beyond the physical differences in the many cultures of the world. References: Gonzalez-Mena, J, & Pulido-Tobiassen, D. (1999). Scholastic.com. Teaching Diversity: A Place to Begin. Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/teaching-diversity-place-begin-0/ Metzler Ph.D, C. (2009, February). PBS.org. Teaching Children About Diversity. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2009/02/teaching-children-about-divers.html ![]() Wendi Iacobello has been an Army wife for three years and part of military life for five years. She has spent the last nine years as an adult educator, has a Master of Arts in Educational Media, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. Her teaching career includes; Middle and High School Special Education, Correctional Education, and Community College Instruction in Early Childhood Education, Compensatory Ed, as well as Adult Basic Education. Currently, she is a blogger, freelance writer, instructional designer, aqua cycling instructor, and avid volunteer. In her free time, you can usually find her volunteering at USO’s story time, outdoors in the garden, exercising, or enjoying time with her husband and their adorable Beagle, Daizi. Wendi is extremely passionate about helping others find their inner strength by sharing her experiences, insight, resources, and inspirational stories on her blog Strength4Spouses. |
AuthorHi, I'm Bobbi and while I'll generally be posting here, I'll occasionally invite others to share as well. Archives
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