Explaining racism and sexism to 3.5 year old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DON"T

Don’t what? Don’t read a great kids book? Don’t answer the child’s question? Don’t what?!!

Why are all of you being deliberately obtuse?

Don’t try to have a complex conversation about anti-racism and sexism with a 3.5 yr old. They are not going to understand.

So how would you answer the child’s question? “Why did Mae’s teacher say she couldn’t be an astronaut?”

Plenty of people provided responses. You guys are apparently only willing to accept some specific answer. So why don’t you provide it?

No, dear, no one who thinks this is “virtue signaling” or “Don’t “ or “way too young!!” Has responded.

+1.

+2. Just answer, Don’t Guy!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DON"T

Don’t what? Don’t read a great kids book? Don’t answer the child’s question? Don’t what?!!

Why are all of you being deliberately obtuse?

Don’t try to have a complex conversation about anti-racism and sexism with a 3.5 yr old. They are not going to understand.

So how would you answer the child’s question? “Why did Mae’s teacher say she couldn’t be an astronaut?”

Plenty of people provided responses. You guys are apparently only willing to accept some specific answer. So why don’t you provide it?

No, dear, no one who thinks this is “virtue signaling” or “Don’t “ or “way too young!!” Has responded.

+1.

+2. Just answer, Don’t Guy!!

Did you idiots even read the responses? There are 4 or 5 that directly answer the OP’s question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DON"T

Don’t what? Don’t read a great kids book? Don’t answer the child’s question? Don’t what?!!

Why are all of you being deliberately obtuse?

Don’t try to have a complex conversation about anti-racism and sexism with a 3.5 yr old. They are not going to understand.

So how would you answer the child’s question? “Why did Mae’s teacher say she couldn’t be an astronaut?”

Plenty of people provided responses. You guys are apparently only willing to accept some specific answer. So why don’t you provide it?

No, dear, no one who thinks this is “virtue signaling” or “Don’t “ or “way too young!!” Has responded.

Look at the post at 14:27, dear. And try not to be so triggered.

14:27 isn’t the DON’T poster, idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DON"T

Don’t what? Don’t read a great kids book? Don’t answer the child’s question? Don’t what?!!

Why are all of you being deliberately obtuse?

Don’t try to have a complex conversation about anti-racism and sexism with a 3.5 yr old. They are not going to understand.

So how would you answer the child’s question? “Why did Mae’s teacher say she couldn’t be an astronaut?”

+1. Waiting for the answer, too.

"People used to think you had to look a certain way to be allowed to do certain jobs. There were even unfair rules about it! Things are more fair now and in our family we know that how you act matters most."

Add nuance with age

[Anonymous]

There is nothing to teach at this age and by the time he's old enough most areas don't have these issues anymore unless you are in the deep south

[Anonymous]

At that age, you just say, “some people aren’t nice sometimes and her teacher wasn’t being nice. Of course she can be an astronaut.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DON"T

Don’t what? Don’t read a great kids book? Don’t answer the child’s question? Don’t what?!!

Why are all of you being deliberately obtuse?

Don’t try to have a complex conversation about anti-racism and sexism with a 3.5 yr old. They are not going to understand.

So how would you answer the child’s question? “Why did Mae’s teacher say she couldn’t be an astronaut?”

Plenty of people provided responses. You guys are apparently only willing to accept some specific answer. So why don’t you provide it?

No, dear, no one who thinks this is “virtue signaling” or “Don’t “ or “way too young!!” Has responded.

+1.

+2. Just answer, Don’t Guy!!

Did you idiots even read the responses? There are 4 or 5 that directly answer the OP’s question.

NOT AN ANSWER FROM THE POSTERS WHO SAID “Don’t” and other directives. Jesus, how can you not understand that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I disagree with the posters that say it's too young. Of course you will not expect them to completely grasp the concept, it's about setting foundations. Those foundations are important because at this age kids are already trying to explain differences they see (why is the man standing in the median asking for money often black?) if you don't start answering those questions and starting to teach the basics on these concepts, they will come up with their own answers. That's what researchers say at least (all research has limitations).

My favorite book that helped my son right around that age startttt to slowly get some of these concepts and gave me EXTREMELY helpful language to use as it came up is called "Our Skin a first conversation about race" https://www.target.com/p/our-skin-a-first-conversation-about-race-first-conversations-by-megan-madison-jessica-ralli-hardcover/-/A-82975076

There are many others but in my opinion this one is the most simple and to the point, not talking in euphemisms. It explains that we all have different skin color, why that is (melanin), then it talks about how skin color can't tell you much about what people are like, what they know, etc etc etc - just by looking at someone we can't tell who they are on the inside. Then it tells the story about how a long time ago some people made up an idea called race. It goes through what that is and names racism, saying that this idea wasn't fair or true at all, but it's a story that has been told for a long time. Then it gives some examples of racism that even little kids can understand. And then what they can do. I just grabbed it from my son's room so I could walk through it.

My son immediately gravitated to it at that age because he was trying to figure things out and would ask to have it read over and over. Now he doesn't as much. Does he understand racism? No. But at 4.5 he can definitely tell you that some people are treated differently only because of their skin color and that is wrong (in 4 year old words). It's just the foundation, we'll get more into it as he keeps getting older.

Anyway, in your situation I probably would have used some of the words that I learned from this book - in the past, and sometimes even today, girls and especially girls with Black skin weren't always allowed to do the same thing as boys with white skin. That was wrong and unfair. Now, we work hard to make sure that everyone can do the things they want to do - like be an astronaut.

You got this op, it's not easy but this gives you some language to start with.

OP here. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I disagree with the posters that say it's too young. Of course you will not expect them to completely grasp the concept, it's about setting foundations. Those foundations are important because at this age kids are already trying to explain differences they see (why is the man standing in the median asking for money often black?) if you don't start answering those questions and starting to teach the basics on these concepts, they will come up with their own answers. That's what researchers say at least (all research has limitations).

My favorite book that helped my son right around that age startttt to slowly get some of these concepts and gave me EXTREMELY helpful language to use as it came up is called "Our Skin a first conversation about race" https://www.target.com/p/our-skin-a-first-conversation-about-race-first-conversations-by-megan-madison-jessica-ralli-hardcover/-/A-82975076

There are many others but in my opinion this one is the most simple and to the point, not talking in euphemisms. It explains that we all have different skin color, why that is (melanin), then it talks about how skin color can't tell you much about what people are like, what they know, etc etc etc - just by looking at someone we can't tell who they are on the inside. Then it tells the story about how a long time ago some people made up an idea called race. It goes through what that is and names racism, saying that this idea wasn't fair or true at all, but it's a story that has been told for a long time. Then it gives some examples of racism that even little kids can understand. And then what they can do. I just grabbed it from my son's room so I could walk through it.

My son immediately gravitated to it at that age because he was trying to figure things out and would ask to have it read over and over. Now he doesn't as much. Does he understand racism? No. But at 4.5 he can definitely tell you that some people are treated differently only because of their skin color and that is wrong (in 4 year old words). It's just the foundation, we'll get more into it as he keeps getting older.

Anyway, in your situation I probably would have used some of the words that I learned from this book - in the past, and sometimes even today, girls and especially girls with Black skin weren't always allowed to do the same thing as boys with white skin. That was wrong and unfair. Now, we work hard to make sure that everyone can do the things they want to do - like be an astronaut.

You got this op, it's not easy but this gives you some language to start with.

I’m not the OP but this was my thinking - at some point soon (if he hasn’t already) my 2.5 year old is going to notice that none of the nannies at the playground are White, but that most of the kids on the block are, and that most people panhandling are Black. It’s absurd to pretend that’s all just some big coincidence. I’ve been looking for an intro to this topic for him - this is great, thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do. Not. Do. This.

+1
You can sidestep these questions. Thats a great book because it shows a little black girl achieving her dream, but it’s meant to inspire all children, not to teach 3 year olds about society’s evils

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do. Not. Do. This.

+1
You can sidestep these questions. Thats a great book because it shows a little black girl achieving her dream, but it’s meant to inspire all children, not to teach 3 year olds about society’s evils

So how would you answer the 3 yr old’s question, “why did the teacher say that Mae couldn’t be as astronaut?” And why did the other kids laugh at Mae?

I totally get where OP is coming from. However as an African American mother, there is no sidestepping the race issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do. Not. Do. This.

+1
You can sidestep these questions. Thats a great book because it shows a little black girl achieving her dream, but it’s meant to inspire all children, not to teach 3 year olds about society’s evils

So how would you answer the 3 yr old’s question, “why did the teacher say that Mae couldn’t be as astronaut?” And why did the other kids laugh at Mae?

I totally get where OP is coming from. However as an African American mother, there is no sidestepping the race issue.

+2. When your child is Brown there is no way to sidestep racism either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WWWAAAYYYYY TO YOUNG.

why? Do you think black and brown kids are not exposed to racism and bigotry at young ages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WWWAAAYYYYY TO YOUNG.

why? Do you think black and brown kids are not exposed to racism and bigotry at young ages?

+1.

[Anonymous]

Friend's kid came home from Kindergarten after a Martin Luther King Day celebration. He told his mom he was grateful because MLK allowed people like him to be friends with black kids like Dinesh, Ramyadevi, and Anuj.

The kid's mom, who told me the story, is black.