ABSTRACT
This chapter asks people to think about the way in which they view children. Vygotskian socio-cultural theory sees the child as an active co-constructor of his or her learning and relationships. Some of the issues and ideas discussed in the chapter are thought-provoking and others will address challenges people may meet in their setting and in their practice. Although discussing this issue in relation to multicultural education, Nieto argues for moving beyond tolerance and acceptance and instead engaging with the issues in order to work towards respect for diversity and difference. The idea of children having lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents can be in this category of ‘what children shouldn't know about’ for many early years practitioners. Developmental psychology outlines the change from child to adult and suggests that there are a set of developmental norms common to all children, biologically determined and lying within the child, waiting to unfold.
