Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month

With 2022 now in full swing, February brings with it the opportunity to reflect on our history regarding the LGBTQ+ community. It’s clear that we’ve come a very long way from the dark days of old, but there is still so much more work to do. Homophobia and transphobia are still existent in our society, even if we don’t realise it.

In the early hours of 28 June 1969, something remarkable happened that changed the world as we know it. Police officers raided the Stonewall Inn; a gay club located in New York City. These raids were constant throughout the sixties, but this particular raid had repercussions that still echo across the world to this day.

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How RainbowSmart supports diversity and inclusivity

Making friends at an early age is never easy, especially in light of a pandemic that has robbed many children of those formative years building relationships with their classmates. For many children, the differences between themselves and others may seem intimidating.

With that in mind, it’s crucial to remind children that these differences are only skin deep. We have no need to place these barriers on ourselves, as they will only become more harmful at a later point in life. Hatred and discrimination are learned behaviours, and we as responsible adults have a duty to recognise that.

To mark #UniversalChildrensDay, we look at how RainbowSmart is supportive of inclusivity and diversity in five of the Rainbow Drop storybooks.

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Being Kind: 5 Ways RainbowSmart Supports #WorldKindnessDay

On #WorldKindnessDay, the importance of being kind to others has never been greater. The world is a hostile place at the best of times right now, but a simple act of kindness can mean the world to someone.

At 1decision, we want to offer our support for The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation campaign of making kindness the new norm.

Naturally that journey starts at the earliest possible stage of development, and that journey can begin with RainbowSmart. This interactive app is a one-stop-shop for parents, carers and childminders to use with their children. Tailored to ages 3-7, the app contains animations, storybooks, flashcards, and mindfulness videos.

Helping children to understand the importance of being kind is crucial; therefore, allow us to introduce the Rainbow Drops in five adventures that teach children the value of being kind!

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Water Safety

Hearing the tragic story of Dylan Ramsay, a 13 year-old that tragically drowned ten years ago, it raised a lot of questions as to whether the UK curriculum really does enough to teach children about the dangers of open water swimming.

The Department of Education states there are ‘no plans to review the current curriculum expectations for water safety’, but is there more that can be done? Speaking as someone only two years older than Dylan, I would say that swimming was certainly a part of the curriculum at Primary School. On Friday afternoons, we would make the short trip to the swimming pool for hour-long lessons. But during this time and beyond, the dangers of open water swimming were rarely highlighted.

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Sex Education: Lessons In How To Approach PSHE

Recently, Season 3 of hit Netflix show Sex Education was released to considerable acclaim from critics and viewers. The reason for this is obvious: it deals with relevant issues that a lot of us missed out on during our formative years in education.

In all honesty, many of the issues dealt with relate to things that I had never been taught in school. Take for instance the HIV advice scene in Episode 4; a moment that provides clarity and calm to ease potential anxieties over HIV that are always made hysterical by the media. It begs the question; why are a lot of us only just finding out about HIV prevention drugs like PrEP now? As show writer Alix Fox states, HIV is ‘no longer a death sentence’ - we should celebrate and embrace that within our curriculum rather than pander to the media scaremongering. This is exactly what Sex Education does and is why the show is so universally popular.

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In Defence of Reading

I might be a little biased in my assertion that reading is the best way to spend one’s time as an English Literature graduate, but it rings truer with every passing book.

We are told time and time again to move away from the screen and toward the book, but it would be fair to say the rise of the Kindle has certainly blurred that distinction somewhat. If we’re reading from a Kindle, are we moving away from the screen, or do we not count the Kindle as a screen in the conventional sense?

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