10 Questions to Ask When You Disagree With a Family's Practice

by Janet Gonzalez-Mena and Navaz Bhavnagri 

1. What is the family's cultural perspective on this issue?  

2. How do the family's child care practices relate to their cultural perspective?

3. What are the family's goals for the child? How has the family's culture influenced these goals? 

4. In view of these goals, is the family's practice in the child's best interest?  

5. Is there any sound research that shows that the family's practice is doing actual harm?

6. Is our program's practice or policy universally applicable, or is it better suited to a particular culture?

7. Did the family choose our program because of our particular philosophy, even if it is based on a different culture from their own.

8. Have we as staff members attempted to fully understand the family's rationale for its practices, the complexity of the issues, and other contributing factors?

9. Have we attempted to fully explain the rationale for our program practices? Have we looked at how our own cultures influence our perspective?

10. What are some creative solutions we can come up with together to address the concerns of both parents and our program?

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