I remember when Rowan said a racist comment. He told my co-founder that his hair was ‘weird’ and that he didn’t like him because of it. I was mortified and had no idea how to handle it.
Race. Parenting. All of it is messy. I spent the weekend researching how to raise anti-racist kids. One of the best resources was a podcast from NPR on the subject. Here are some of their tips:
Build positive associations with diversity. Talk about your heritage and encourage others around you to do the same. Talk about how differences make us great.
Buck the stereotypes. Show a range of characters in the books and media that show all different types of heroes or princesses.
You don’t need all the answers. If your kid asks a question that you don’t know the answer to, say “I don’t know, but let’s explore that together.”
Don’t be afraid to talk about the bad things. Be concrete and focus on the unfairness. Also talk about how people have overcome this in the past and the importance of allies.
Walk the walk. Probably the most powerful thing you can do is have a diverse social circle. Kids mimic you actions more than anything.
This is hard, but mama, you can do this.
I hate to include this in this post, but I do need some help. For any managers out there, can you take 1-minute to fill out this quick survey for me today? Would be such a help!
