The NAEYC Code of Ethics and my Professional Life: Ideal 1.10
Ideal 10 in the NAEYC ethics code’s
first
section, the section related to responsibilities to children, says that
early
child hood professionals should “ensure that each child’s culture,
language, ethnicity,
and family structure are recognized and valued in the program”.
This ideal has been an ideal that I
have
learned a lot about since I began working with young children in the school system for about six years. It is important to me because I realize that I
would want
my culture respected if I were the parent allowing my child to be taught
or
cared for by someone who is not part of my culture. This ideal has also
caused
me to take a lot of consideration in how I care for children because my
own
values and beliefs about child care could conflict with a parent’s
culture.
Ultimately, however, I have found that if I am open to the parents’
wishes and
also offer parents information about effective ways to care for
children, the
parents are as willing to be flexible as I am, so that worrying is
something I
am more likely to do before I have brought up a difference of opinion or
culture with parents
