What a Preschool Classroom Can Teach Us About Belonging

During a reading of Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, a children s book about a father learning to style his daughter s hair, a child in a YWCA Minneapolis preschool classroom made an observation: “Dads don’t do hair, only moms can do hair.” Another child explained that her Nani did her hair every day. A third chimed in that her dad sometimes did her hair, but could only do a ponytail. The teacher then asked the children about the people they lived with and who helped them get ready each morning. They talked about the many ways families can look. Some children live with a mom and dad, others with one parent, and others with two dads or two moms, or a grandparent. What began as a conversation about hair became an opportunity to affirm something important: Every family is different, and every family is special. It s a small moment, but it illustrates how children begin to understand belonging. By sharing their own experiences and hearing those of their classmates, c