Relationship Skills — Fair is not the Same
“That’s not fair!”
Whenever two or more children spend an extended amount of time together, this cry for justice can be a familiar exclamation. At home, an older child gets a privilege that their younger sibling does not yet get. The new baby gets more adult attention than their older sibling. When children are at school, there is an inevitable comparison between peers. They might struggle with understanding why some classmates get special accommodations or more adult support than others.
They are concerned about equality, which has to do with sameness. But “fair is not always the same.” Fairness means that everyone gets what they need based on how they learn best. Fairness is a difficult concept to grasp, but when children learn the reasons behind the differences that they see, they will begin to develop empathy toward others.
This week the Puppet Kids learn that their classmates all learn differently and therefore some might need special tools, places to learn, or adult support. Once they understand that “fair is not always the same,” they can respond to their classmates with sensitivity and kindness.