It may seem that race issues with regard to prejudice have already been thoroughly discussed. Nevertheless, parents need special approaches to talking about skin colors and discrimination problems. The authors of the book discuss the need to have conversations with children about this topic. Moreover, they dispel the myth that emphasizing this theme will only lead to greater discrimination and misunderstanding between children of different skin colors.
White parents tend not to talk to their children about race, whereas non-white parents think it is necessary to talk with their kids about this topic. Bronson and Merryman claim that white parents think it is better not to talk about race issues at all in order not to make an opposition between “ours” and “theirs” (56). However, minority parents tell their children about discrimination issues as they want to prepare them for biases in order for the kids not to suffer discriminatory incidents.
Firstly, the early conversations shape people’s awareness of their racial identities as they provide children with some details, which help them determine their place in life-related to belonging to a group. For example, these conversations explain that skin color is a sign of ancestral roots (Bronson and Merryman 56). Secondly, kids tend to like those who look more similar to them, and it is important to shape their awareness of other racial groups and their experiences. According to the authors, “race becomes an issue only if we make it an issue” (Bronson and Merryman 53), which actualizes the necessity for talking about race with children. To support this idea, the authors described an experiment that showed that about 85% of three-year-old children prefer to be friends with kids of their own race (Bronson and Merryman 54). The early discussions, which explain the discrimination’s wrongfulness, and history classes that include historical discrimination, shape our awareness of other racial groups and their experiences.
To conclude, the numerous surveys presented in the book show that some parents do not adequately cover the race problem for children. Non-white parents have been discriminated against and want to protect their children. In contrast, white parents are afraid to put an extra emphasis on skin color and, consequently, avoid such conversations. However, it is essential to remember that these discussions contribute to formatting our identity, understanding other races’ problems, and tolerance.
Reference
Bronson, Po, and Ashley Merryman. NutureShock: New Thinking About Children. Twelve, 2011.