This past Monday was a holiday in parts of the country, but there was no three day weekend here in Seattle. Not only is Columbus Day not a holiday here, but as of October 6, it isn’t even Columbus Day anymore. Seattle (and Minneapolis) now celebrates Indigenous People Day. The change in name is an attempt to shift the holiday’s focus from Christopher Columbus to the people he encountered in the New World and their modern-day descendants.
Now I get it. I know Christopher Columbus wasn’t the nicest guy. And I realize that there were already people living in the Americas when he “discovered” it, so I have no problem celebrating/honoring the indigenous people. But growing up we learned about Columbus and the ocean blue, his three ships and all. So what do we tell our kids? What do you teach them and when do you allow political correctness to rule the day?
This question of course doesn’t just apply to the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. There are many things we grew up being taught that are no longer considered “PC.” How much do you try to teach your children political correctness and when is it too reactionary?
Of course, the definition of politically correct is in the eye of the beholder. Some may see the acceptance of same sex marriage as a politically correct change, while I see it as a welcome change to extend a basic right to all. (And Lila thinks having a family with two moms would be really great.) Others see one of our favorite team names as offensive and in need of a change.
We aim to make our children into kind, caring and informed people. And even though we celebrated Columbus Day as a child, A and I turned out ok. I suppose there will always be changes in public opinion and teaching, and we just need to do our best to teach our children what we think is right.
Our kids are too young for real school. Lila is in preschool, but still at the same day care center she’s attended since she was 4 months old. So in theory, “back to school” season isn’t that big a deal for us, it is just business as usual. But fall has brought new classes and schedules for us and for the girls.
– Ladybug Girl is above and beyond Lucy’s favorite book series. Ladybug Girl has a trusty sidekick, her dog Bingo, who bears a resemblance to a certain lovable beagle. Ladybug Girl’s real name is Lulu, which happens to be Lucy’s nickname at daycare. There are many books in the series, including a set of board books. Lucy’s current favorite is 
, in which Lula requests “8 more books please!” before bed. Lucy can barely make it through the line without giggling hysterically.
– Lucy has a thing for monkeys. I think that’s pretty common for toddlers. Her lovie is a monkey name RuRu, but she loves Curious George too. She likes to point out the Man with the Yellow Hat and read about his crazy adventures – like when he invited all the dogs into the house to eat the frosting. 
– These books don’t have much plot. Ok, they have no plot. They are 26 books, one for each letter with 3 words and pictures for each letter. I have little patience for reading these books but A is really good about reading them to Lucy. They talk about recognizing the letter, the words, other things that start with that letter. I have no doubt that it really helps with learning to read and knowing the alphabet. (Lucy can sing her ABCs, in adorable toddler speak.) So I highly recommend these books for helping with pre-reading skills. Just be sure you have someone like A to do the alphabet training with your toddler.
– So this is a weird one but Lucy LOVES it. We bought it after Lucy was born and while going through some big sister adjustment, Lila had a hitting phase. Lucy loves it, she loves to imitate what the kids in the book are doing (waving hello, brushing their teeth, etc) and one of her favorite people’s name appears in the book which makes her very happy. There is a whole series of these books (Teeth are Not for Biting, Tails are Not for Pulling) and we’ve never read the others, but I imagine they may be just as enjoyable.
– This is one in the series of Belinda books by Amy Young. Belinda is a ballet dancer with very large feet and very large talent. A budding ballerina herself, Lila loves to read about Belinda’s adventures. Her favorite has been Belinda in Paris, perhaps for its worldly feel or just very silly story.
– In an old house in Paris. . . Lila is a bit of a Francophile, as you may be able to tell by the first two books on the list. Madeline caught her attention with its familiar rhymes and the little girl’s infectious spirit. The older books can be a little wacky – ever read Madeline and the Gypsies where she and the Ambassador’s son are kidnapped by a gypsy circus and to prevent the children from being discovered, the old gypsy lady sews them into a dead lion’s pelt? But Lila has returned to the series many times, now owning many of her favorite titles.
– this book is an adorable tale of a little dog who meets a bird who teaches him to read. It is a a good “first reader” book without being an annoying “This is cat. See cat. See cat sit.” It has lots of easy words and incorporates learning to spell and recognize easy words into the plot. That and Rocket is gosh darn adorable.
– We own this book, having received it when Lila was born. It is a very silly tale of a large family of picky eaters. Lila likes the rhymes, all the kids, the ever increasing number of cats in the house and now enjoys that one of the siblings is named Lucy. It is one book that I don’t mind when Lila picks it up several nights in a row.
– Another great series about a little girl who loves ballet. Unlike Belinda who is a “real” ballerina, Tallulah is a little girl with big ballet dreams. Her family is very Seattle hipster – Tallulah and her little brother Beckett, dad wears a beret, mom is fashionably shabby – and Tallulah always learns an important lesson. I think Tallulah’s enthusiasm and resulting adventures are great for our little ballerina, without being preachy.
