People look different. They act different. They like different things. That is okay. Some differences are easy to see. Some are not. Different is not bad. Everyone is different. That is not better. That is not worse. It is just different.

Hair can be different colors, lengths and styles. Some people are taller than others. Some are shorter. Eye color is different from person to person. It goes from very light blue to dark brown. Most people are right-handed. About 1 in 10 people (10.6%) is left-handed.

Families come in all different shapes and sizes. Sometimes a grandparent takes care of a child. Sometimes an aunt or an uncle does. Some families have stepparents. Some have one parent. Some have parents who found their children through adoption.

Some people use a wheelchair to get from place to place. Having a disability does not mean a person is sad. It does not mean they cannot do things for themselves. Braille is a system of raised dots. People who are blind or have low vision read it with their fingers.

When a child asks about a difference, a simple and honest answer is best. It is okay to say, “I don’t know.” You can say, “Let’s find out together.” Staring is unkind. So is pointing. So is leaving someone out. A respectful question is fine.

Treating someone badly because they are different is not okay. Kids who bully sometimes pick on someone who looks or acts different. This is never okay. If you see someone being picked on, you can stand up for them. You can tell an adult you trust. A grown-up you trust can help when someone is being unkind or when being different feels hard.

Words to know

• braille: raised dots
• respectful: kind, polite
• wheelchair: chair with wheels
• bully: be mean