People Who Influence Preschoolers Attitudes

Attitudes in preschool children are influenced by family, friends, mas media and the community they live in as well as the preschool they're enrolled in. A child's age, cognitive development and social experiences affect the development of a child's attitudes and beliefs. Messages from these influences in a preschoolers life play an essential role in the development of a child.

Family can influence attitude development in a child through modeling appropriate or inappropriate behavior. A child learns to perform behavior simply by watching someone else perform the same behavior, therefore they model the behaviors and attitudes they see in their everyday lives. This comes from interactions they have, conversations they hear among parents, siblings and extended family. For example, if a child is taught to define different as wrong they will not accept anyone who is different from them because they've been different is wrong. If a child has been taught different just means different and that people make different choices and those choices are neither right nor wrong, the child will grow up to accept people, opinions and beliefs and not look down on them because they're different than they are. How children are socialized affects  future attitudes and plays a role in shaping children's futures. For example if a child is taught they can't be friends with someone because they're not a member of their religion, the child will start to see others who aren't of their religion as bad people and this will affect their future attitudes of people who aren't members of their religion. It shapes a child's future because their circle of friends may be limited and a prejudice has been taught.

Friends are a big influence in children's attitudes and beliefs. For most children, preschool is their first experience with school. While at preschool they're exposed to what other children say and believe. They begin to put weight on what their friends say and the things they like and dislike. Children compare the acceptability of beliefs to those of their friends and begin to  compare and contrast similarities and differences of those in their circle of friendship and those out of it.

Children who have contact with people from other generations benefit from these interactions. When visiting grandparents or aunts and uncles it impacts a child's attitude toward other adults. Children who spend time with people from other generations and have direct exposure to older adults have a more positive attitude toward other adults. Activities and time spent with older adults can be seen as boring by children. When they spend time with grandparents or other adults from other generations they see that grandparents and other adults have things in common with them as a child. Children learn adults from other generations like to play some of the same games or like to read some of the same authors they do and it's a great way for children to learn about history.

Parents who promote accepting attitudes and beliefs have children who are more likely to adopt the same attitudes and beliefs. As a result children become more tolerant of  differences and learn to celebrate diversity.