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DD has noticed people are different

post #1 of 11
12/9/08 at 4:07pm
Thread Starter 
I had hoped this day would never come, but my oldest now notices some people are brown and some people are white. I wondered if she really understood what she was saying, so I quizzed her. She does. I tell her everyone is different, everyone is special. I tell her that our president is a good man and he is brown. With a couple of exceptions, all of her cousins are "brown". She has brown friends and white friends. She'll play with any kid. So I guess we are doing an okay job. But I still worry about the whole brown/white thing. Have you talked to your children about race? We have not told her that brown=black. Just some people have browner skin than other people.
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post #2 of 11
12/9/08 at 4:12pm

Re: DD has noticed people are different

Emily made this observation a while back. We didn't make a big issue of it. We just told her, so what, you have brown hair, your brother has blonde, it is the same with skin color, we have all shades of hair, eyes, and skin, but we are all people. Her best friend is 1/4 middle easterner and has the most beautiful olive skin tone. Emily NEVER has asked about Catie's skin tone. It's just not an issue because we didn't make it one. I think it's normal for kids to notice these differences, but it's up to us to let them know it's not an issue. I think you are doing a great job, Lenora, if your DD is playing with everyone, then you know what you said got through to her.
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post #3 of 11
12/9/08 at 7:11pm

Re: DD has noticed people are different

I did the same as Tammy when my boys noticed and where they grew up even their cousins cheated by having a built in suntan. I just pointed out that some people have blue eyes, green eyes, brown eyes, brown hair, red hair, blond hair, brown skin, white skin, freckles like mummy (I'm kinda polka dot ). I also pointed out that almost all trees are green but they are all different types of green and flowers are all different as well. Heck if she has seen more than 2 cats or dogs there is another example. Everything in nature is multicoloured, it's just the way it is.
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post #4 of 11
12/9/08 at 8:38pm

Re: DD has noticed people are different

i will have to remember how you all handled this when the question comes to me.

great job ladies!
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post #5 of 11
12/9/08 at 11:01pm

Re: DD has noticed people are different

My friend Cardell is black and Payton never mentioned that his skin was a different color but she does call him her chocolate boy! There are a lot of different ethnic races in my area so it isn't unusual. It's just normal to my children and they have never really mentioned it or asked why. Emily did tell me a couple of days ago that "an african-american girl on my bus tried to steal my quarter" I thought that was pretty cute. At least she is being taught the correct terminology. Heck, half the time I still call them black cuz that is what I grew up with. My grandpa was not prejudice in the slightest but he called them all negros cuz that is what he had always known to call them. I think it is neat to see how the generations are getting more and more color/ethnic blind.
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post #6 of 11
12/10/08 at 2:20am

Re: DD has noticed people are different

my town is the opposite than yours Krista. We have very few different ethnic races. i could probably count them on two hands. most are exchange students.

growing up there was only one black family, and we all had the dad as our dentist gotta love small towns
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post #7 of 11
12/10/08 at 2:57pm

Re: DD has noticed people are different

My kids notice the differences, it's perfectly normal for them to. I don't think we're prejudiced people or bigots so they're not learning that there's anything "wrong" with being different, they just simply notice it. We do tell them that God made everyone look different because it would be boring to all be the same - we relate it to their crayons. Wouldn't it be boring to have only one color to use?
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post #8 of 11
12/10/08 at 3:26pm
Thread Starter 

Re: DD has noticed people are different

That's a great analogy! We talked about it with her last night. We told her people come in many colors. Some people even look kind of blue or orange, but if she runs into a green person leave the room, because they are about to blow.
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post #9 of 11
12/10/08 at 4:48pm

Re: DD has noticed people are different

I think it is normal for kids to notice those differences. Christian and Kel have never said a word. They have a lot of Asian/Korean kids in their school(more than when I went there) and they don't say a peep. They never wonder why they don't look the same as their parents (most of them were adopted). they just play with whoever they want and go on their way.
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post #10 of 11
12/11/08 at 2:52am

Re: DD has noticed people are different

It has never benn an issue with my kids. We have friends that are black, asian, indian, so they were just always used to it. It was never even brought up that I can recall.
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post #11 of 11
8/11/10 at 6:11pm

Re: DD has noticed people are different

My kids noticed it for the fact I'm white and their father is black/white. Though they are light skinned they still asked. I told them that when god made the world he made different animals and made different humans too. I basically told them at the young age! that humans is like a breed of animals!!!
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