That's a Family!

Enlightening without being didactic, this sterling production is an excellent resource to get kids talking about cultural diversity and family life.

I love That's A Family! I use it for both my undergraduate and graduate courses on Children and Families and Cultural Awareness for Young Children. It covers all of the family structures teachers will encounter in our increasingly diverse classrooms. There is always positive feedback and lengthy conversations about how teachers should be prepared to handle a variety of situations, even if they make them uncomfortable initially. Plus the resource book that comes with the film has book lists for the different family structures, and a plethora of suggested activities—which pre-service and in-service teachers love.

The film is very simple, but also extremely moving and powerful. The fact that it is told strictly from the point of view of the children gives the film a sincerity that comes through very strongly.

Every parent, educator and policymaker should be concerned about school violence. By reflecting the true diversity of American families, That's a Family! breaks down intolerance and promotes true understanding first step toward making our school safe for all children.

...this top notch production aimed at elementary and middle school aged kids may go a long way toward assuaging children's fears of being 'different,' while also hopefully enouraging tolerance in general.

Recognizing diversity as a promise and not a threat, 'That's a Family!' helps children to feel understood and appreciated instead of condemned because of their family.

That's a Family! is a superb video production. It provides a wealth of material that can produce hours of productive conversation about the many ways in which people become families. The use of children speaking in their own voices about their experience of family is especially successful. I heartily recommend this video.

Families encompass both traditional and nontraditional structures, and include a broad range of ethnicities. This film will help children recognize that, while families may look different from one another, their ultimate goal to love and support their children is universal.

The children's voices are compelling [and] they eloquently debunk stereotypes about children from non-traditional homes. That's a Family! should be shown widely across America.

One of the best new resources I've seen for addressing diversity with children. I highly recommend it, not only for young students but for training for teachers, social workers, and service providers.

A must for every elementary school classroom. These children's insights about their families must be heard by all who are committed to helping our nation's children understand and celebrate difference and diversity.

My favorite part of the movie is seeing people that are adopted like me. I think this movie should be shown at my school because people get teased at my school.

You have done a wonderful, stupendous, great, two thumbs way up, fabulous, well done, on the extreme level, fantastic, really good, magical, amazing, marvelous, great performance on this wonderful movie, and please make more until they understand the way that we do.

The film is really cool. I never knew what a guardian was. I thought it was some guy with a sword to protect you, but now I know it's a person who helps take care of you, or takes care of you altogether.