As part of our commitment to fostering an accepting and supportive environment for all children, we will be celebrating IDAHOBIT on Friday May 17th 2024. IDAHOBIT is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia.

Early childhood is a critical time for children to learn about diversity and inclusion. Celebrating IDAHOBIT teaches young children about the importance of respecting and accepting everyone regardless of gender, binary or family dynamic.

At Margaret Ives we are committed to respecting gender identity. We respect the identity of each child that is shared with us by their parents/caregivers unless the child explicitly informs us otherwise. Gender identity has nothing to do with sexual orientation. In the spirit of inclusivity, we would like to ask all parents/caregivers to familiarise themselves with the definition of gender identity. 

Gender Identity: Gender identity refers to a person's internal sense of their own gender. It is how individuals perceive themselves as male, female, a blend of both, or neither. Gender identity may or may not align with the sex assigned to them at birth. It's important to recognize that gender identity is deeply personal and may vary from person to person.

We work hard not to impose gender stereotypes on any child in our care. We enforce that everything is for everyone (i.e. pink isn’t just for girls and monster trucks are not just for boys). This understanding is crucial for creating a safe and respectful community where every child feels valued and accepted for who they are, in an environment where they can always be their true authentic self. This links directly with the Early Years Learning Framework 2.0 as we create a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment that supports the well-being and development of all children, regardless of their gender identity, outward appearance, family structure and so much more.

Part of celebrating IDAHOBIT means we will be honouring the many wonderful and varied family structures we have here at Margaret Ives. We care for children from nuclear families, same sex parenting families, single parent families, co-parenting families, foster families and blended families. Families can be incredibly diverse, reflecting the complexities of human relationships and lifestyles.

Understanding from an early age that families can look different from their own help’s children recognize that diversity is a natural part of their world. It teaches them to respect and appreciate differences in family composition and dynamics. Children from non-traditional family structures benefit from seeing their family represented. Understanding that there are various types of families helps children feel validated and accepted, contributing to a positive sense of self.

We will be celebrating IDAHOBIT by asking all children to come in dressed in as many colours as possible. The more rainbow, the better! We will be offering a range of experiences throughout the day to promote conversations around inclusion, belonging and what makes all our families dynamic and special. During group time the Bottlebrush children will be reading of “The Family Book” and “Pink is for Boys” by Robb Pearlmann. Any Jacaranda Room children who are awake and interested are also invited to join in. 

The Coral Room children will be reading “Two Homes” by Claire Masurel and “Heather has two Mummies” by Leslea Newman and “Be exactly who you are” by Laura Gehl. Weather permitting, we will go for a walk around our local neighbourhood with the idea to “make Edward Street rainbow coloured”. The children will prepare and enjoy fairy bread for afternoon tea and will be offered many creative art and sensory play experiences in a rainbow theme. 

Ngaitalya (Respect/Thank you)

Sarah Bowden

Bottlebrush Team Leader