People look different, act different and like different things. Everyone is different. Different does not mean better or worse. It just means different. Hair can be different colors, lengths and styles. Some people are taller or shorter than others. Eye color is different from person to person, from very light blue to dark brown. Most people are right-handed. About 1 in 10 people is left-handed. Some differences are easy to see, and some are not.

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 a person 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. Louis Braille invented the six-dot braille system in 1824, when he was 15 years old. Families come in all different shapes and sizes. Some have stepparents, one parent, or parents who found their children through adoption.

People like different things, and that is okay. Children notice differences between people from a young age. Young children can be put off by differences at first. Meeting people who are different makes them seem less strange. Young children usually ask direct questions about differences. They ask out of curiosity, not to be mean. When a child asks about a difference, a simple and honest answer is best. Staring, pointing and leaving someone out are unkind. A respectful question is fine.

A smile and an invitation to play is a kind way to meet someone new. A kind way to include someone is to invite a child who is sitting alone to join in. Playing and working with people who are different from you helps you practice kindness and empathy. Perspective taking is the ability to identify and understand other people's emotions. It is a skill that keeps developing through adolescence. 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.

Teasing can become hurtful, unkind and constant. Then it crosses the line into bullying. Leaving someone out on purpose can be a kind of bullying. If you see someone being picked on, you can stand up for them or tell an adult you trust. Kids watch how grown-ups treat people. They learn from it. Kids feel good about themselves when they try things, make friends, do favorite activities and are kind. When someone is being unkind or when being different feels hard, a grown-up you trust can help. A grown-up you trust can help.

Words to know

• braille: raised dot writing
• perspective: point of view
• curiosity: wish to know
• adoption: joining a family