June is a vibrant and joyful month in London. Not only do we welcome (typically) bright weather and longer days, but June also means the start of Pride Month.This annual occasion serves as a welcome reminder to celebrate love, diversity and inclusion, values we believe are essential for children to learn early and carry with them throughout their lives.

As parents, nannies and caregivers, we are able to lead by example and help foster inclusion, empathy and understanding in many ways but this Pride month, we are reflecting on just some of the steps we can take with our children to continue to honour and support the LGBTQ+ community.

Each family will have different relationships and involvement with the LGBTQ+ community so how we approach conversations and experiences with the children we care for will vary. The stories we tell, the toys we choose and the conversations and activities we encourage can play a tremendous role in shaping a child’s understanding from an early age.

Ultimately it is for each family to decide on what they feel is most appropriate for their children and how they want to integrate LGBTQ+ inclusion into their family lifestyle but here are a few gentle, age-appropriate suggestions to help parents and nannies introduce children to the spirit of Pride and foster empathy, kindness and curiosity.

Bring inclusion into storytime

Books are powerful tools for shaping understanding and most children’s books today carry some kind of valuable message so integrating inclusive books into storytime is a simple way to teach children about celebrating love in its many forms. You can select the one(s) that best reflect your relationship with the LGBTQ+ community and the relationship(s) of those around you. For example, if you are a same sex couple or there is a same sex couple in your family or friendship group, it may feel fitting to opt for books that focus on same sex couples but there are a number of choices when it comes to books that reflect varying gender identities and sexualities. Here are just a few suggestions as a starting point:

Whether you have two mums, two dads, one parent, or one of each, story of Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer focuses on the major commonality that makes a family a family - LOVE. Aimed at children aged between 1 - 4 years old, this is a lovely book to add to your bookshelf this Pride month.

My Little Golden Book About Pride by Kyle Lukoff is a non fiction title focusing the history of Pride month and the story behind the colours of the Pride flag. Aimed at readers aged between 2-5, this is a great starting point to teach children about this annual celebration of love but also the importance of acknowledging and respecting love in its many forms all year round.

Parent & nanny tip: As you’re reading, let your children ask questions and encourage them to keep doing so. Answers should be simple and honest to avoid confusion down the line and if you yourself don’t know, it’s also okay to say that. Perhaps it’s an opportunity for you to look into the answer and revisit the conversation so you’re both learning.

Diverse Toy Choices & Activities

Representation matters when it comes to the toys and activities we choose and this is another simple but effective way to introduce themes of representation and inclusion into childrens’ lives from an early age. When picking toys and activities, consider:

Opting for dolls or figurines that reflect a variety of different skin tones, abilities and genders.
Dress-up boxes with open-ended costumes — pirates, princesses, astronauts — to empower children to feel interested and able to explore any role.
Explore inclusive craft activities like encouraging children to design their own Pride flags based on its history, design symbols of love or draw family portraits.

Activity idea: Parents and nannies can join children in creating a DIY rainbow mobile or wind chimes together. You can use this opportunity to openly discuss the rainbow’s meaning and how it includes many colours, just like there are many kinds of people.

Lead with Kindness

Children take notice of differences and they also take cues from how adults react and behave. By modelling openness and respect when discussing differences in people’s identities, sexualities, clothes or families we can encourage the children we raise to do the same.

Parent & nanny tip: When it comes to toddlers and younger children, keep it simple. For example, "some boys love other boys. Some girls love other girls. What matters is that people are kind and happy." As we said earlier, if you don’t know the answer to something, it’s also okay to say that and to use it as an opportunity for you both to look into the answer and learn together.

Attend a Family-Friendly Pride Event

London hosts several, family-friendly and inclusive Pride celebrations which are fun, welcoming and a great way to celebrate love in the community. Some suggested events around London include:

In partnership with Proud North London, Enfield council is hosting a ‘Get Creative: Queer Performance’ session on Saturday 14 June from 12-7:30pm at Dugdale Arts Centre (DAC) with workshops including:

Comedy Writing with Kate Smurthwaite, 12-1:30pm
Get Creative – Drop-In Craft Stations, 12-5pm
Zine Making, 12:30-2pm
Drag Make-Up Workshop with Cazeleon, 1:30-3pm
Burlesque Dance Skills, 3:15-4:45pm
Spoken Word & Queer Icons with Arden Fitzroy, 3:30-5pm
Open Mic, 5:30-7:30pm

A Pride-themed craft activity for children of all ages on Saturday 21th June, 2pm at Tooting Library.
Join author Jodie Lancet Grant as she reads from her children’s book ‘Pirate Mums’ in an interactive story time session to celebrate Pride Month on Friday 20th June, 10.30am at Balham Library.
For teenagers aged 13+, you could also explore LGBTQ+ focused youth groups like Proud North London who meet regularly to encourage like minded young people to socialise and participate in the LGBT+ community as well as participate in activities across LGBT History Month, Pride Month and Spirit Day.

While Pride Month may be a great time to start these conversations and activities, inclusion should be part of everyday nannying and parenting so it’s important to keep these behaviours and activities going throughout the year. However you choose to celebrate or acknowledge Pride month, we hope this provides you with some suggested ways to start fostering inclusion and understanding with children and encourage the next generation to embrace love in all its many forms.