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Hey so quick question how did you tell your kids about races?

I was at the clinic with my kid and he said wowhe is going to get in trouble look how dirty he is. I said oh thats just the colour of his skin. My kid said oh ok and went over to his kid and was playing a board game. I looked at the dad gave a smile he smiled back and never thought much about it. But i was watching hln and now am worried i aproached it wrong lol i know i am canadian things are dif here but still. Did i do the right thing and how do you aproch race with kids?

Sure, matter of fact and to the point. Don't overload kids.

Kids are going to approach everybody with a curious and open mind. Don't corrupt that process by teaching them preconceptions or stereotypes.

What I told them:

"People can have different hair colors: you have brown hair while your sister is blonde. People can also have different skin colors."

The end.

Toddlers are colour blind. They play with any race children at their play group or kindergarten. It is like dogs; a chihuahua, a great dane, a corgi and a dalmatian all see each other as dogs, not separate races.

Traces of racial discrimination are picked up from society and the parents as life goes on.

To be fair, dogs only judge each other on seniority anyway.

The easiest thing to say that the way people look is how their ancestors adapted to the world.

Dark skin tends to mean dealing with very hot / sunny environments.
Lighter skin tends to deal with colder less sunny environments.

How we all look is based on how our ancestors adapted to the place they lived: they grew that way.

My son has colour blindness and after looking around it appears this "condition" gives greater differentiation of camouflage colours.
http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051205/full/news051205-1.html
http://www.color-blindness.com/2006/02/26/khaki-the-color-of-the-colorblinds/

If you are religious: "We are all intended to be the way we are."
If not: "We evolved to this point with all the "dominant" genes my family pickup up along the way."

There is also some discussions that mixed race has some inherent genetic advantages.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/is-it-better-to-be-mixed-race/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1
http://www.quora.com/Are-mixed-race-children-genetically-better-due-to-diversity-of-the-gene-pool
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/6475543/Its-a-wonderful-mixed-up-world.html

Other things to talk about is people come from all over the world and each have different ways of doing things.
I had the pleasure of being part of a meeting where I realized there were 9 of us and each from different parts of the world and about 6 different shades of skin (not including sun caused shading). Best meeting I had for all the different ways to look at things = more ideas.

Anyone "different" from you has a lot to bring to the table to add to your life, it is important to make a point of getting to know them.

"Y'know how your sister has red hair, but you have black? Its like that"

The only color that matters with kids is green. Green is the color of the money you should get when you send them off to the coal mine.

"Kid you're eight now. Enough coddling. You gotta get out there and earn son!"

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Traces of racial discrimination are picked up from society and the parents as life goes on.

Much is picked up, that's true. But there are also studies that show people have an easier time identifying facial features of someone belonging to their own race. The old "all asians look the same" joke might not be based just on racism and ignorance. And when everyone of a certain group looks the same to you it is also easier to hate them. They're all the same, right?

 Talizvar wrote:

If you are religious: "We are all intended to be the way we are."
If not: "We evolved to this point with all the "dominant" genes my family pickup up along the way."

IMO, that's too much for kids, depending on age. If they are above 13, then yeah, sure, knock yourself out.

But younger than that?? KISS: "we are the way we are" or "that's just the color of their skin" will work just fine.

I Just told my kids to stay away from the Black kids because they are all in gangs and eat way to much fried chicken and water melon.

I also said stay away from the mexican kids because they are always stealing things and are really lazy.

Then I told them to stay away from the white kids because they will try to oppress them and will probably be on drugs.

And finally I told my kids to stay away from the purple kids because seriously....FETH PURPLE KIDS!


(IF you think for a split second any of that is serious except for the purple kids part then I have bad news for you )

 Ghazkuul wrote:

I also said stay away from the mexican kids because they are always stealing things and are really lazy.

This is one thing I've legitimately never, ever understood.... How can people seriously (not you, obviously... but I have definitely heard this sentiment about many groups) not see the oxymoron in "always stealing" being used in the same breath as "really lazy"

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 Ghazkuul wrote:

I also said stay away from the mexican kids because they are always stealing things and are really lazy.

This is one thing I've legitimately never, ever understood.... How can people seriously (not you, obviously... but I have definitely heard this sentiment about many groups) not see the oxymoron in "always stealing" being used in the same breath as "really lazy"

It's just proof of the relation between people with low intelligence and being racist.

If we all looked the same there'd still be something to be prejudiced against, religion, culture, left handed, etc.

 Ghazkuul wrote:
I Just told my kids to stay away from the Black kids because they are all in gangs and eat way to much fried chicken and water melon.

I also said stay away from the mexican kids because they are always stealing things and are really lazy.

Then I told them to stay away from the white kids because they will try to oppress them and will probably be on drugs.

And finally I told my kids to stay away from the purple kids because seriously....FETH PURPLE KIDS!


(IF you think for a split second any of that is serious except for the purple kids part then I have bad news for you )

You should add, go play with the asian kids, they'll help you with your math

sirlynchmob wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 Ghazkuul wrote:

I also said stay away from the mexican kids because they are always stealing things and are really lazy.

This is one thing I've legitimately never, ever understood.... How can people seriously (not you, obviously... but I have definitely heard this sentiment about many groups) not see the oxymoron in "always stealing" being used in the same breath as "really lazy"

It's just proof of the relation between people with low intelligence and being racist.

?

No it's because lazy people tend to be thought of thief because: "too lazy to work and save for a car? Steal one instead, it's easier!" Same with phones etc. The thing's many of us have in life we spent time and money working for, someone who steal do not put in the time and effort to compared to actually working for it.

Hence why stealing and lazyness often are seen as hand and hand with each other. Stealing is usually just another shortcut.

Seriously, look at some of the posts on Dakka. "You Americans" this, "you Europeans" that, "anyone who subscribes to a religion is" fill in the blank".
I could pretty well go on with the prejudices and blanket statements about people that are put forward here on Dakka.

Personally I love racism, and sexism and any kind of prejudice about religion. Possibly the best comedy in the world. The only problem is some people take it seriously and eve *gasp* act superior to someone based upon a joke someone once said at the expense of a friend.

I can fondly remember running back from Chow to enthusiastically inform my 6'6 250lbs dark as night SSgt that they had Fried chicken, Watermelon and Purple drink in the chow hall and that he had better hurry to get some. I also remember with a bit of nostalgia then running away from him as he drew his side arm and attempted to pistol whip me.

Same guy when we got to Manas, Kyrgyzstan (Airforce base that had booze) informed me that my Irish arse was forbidden from getting into any drunken brawls, and to stay away from the Brits

Racism in my experience has been a bonding experience, but the military is a completely different beast then civilian life. In the military you can't hate the guy next to you because his skin is a different color then yours. My battle buddy and SSgt in Afghanistan was Black, my Gunny was Mexican and my LT was an idiot. And except for the LT, I would have died for them and vice verse.

SARCASM and TONE - so hard on the Internet.

And so...this thread is done.