How to Teach Kids About Racism At a Young Age

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It’s our job as parents to teach kids about racism at a young age, but finding the words can sometimes be difficult. Here are a few ways to help guide you.

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We have this sweet family story about Branden whenever he was in kindergarten learning about Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time. Chris and I went to pick him up from school and his teacher told us that after their lesson they asked the class what their takeaways were about what this great man did for our country and Branden raised his hand to share with the class that “he was the reason that he existed. If it weren’t for him that mommy and daddy couldn’t have ever gotten married.”

Swoon.

She said there wasn’t a dry eye between her and the teaching aids in the classroom.

Being a mixed-race family, it has always been important to us not to shy away from these tricky conversations. Kids need to be prepared and we have to give them the tools to achieve that.

How to Teach Kids About Racism At a Young Age

Just this past weekend, Chris sat down with Branden and had all of those uncomfortable conversations with Branden about how even though he is half white and half Black, that the world will identify him as Black and how he needs to be extra cautious as he gets older and has more independence to be out and doing things on his own with friends.

It’s gut-wrenching that these conversations even need to be had, but here we are in 2021 and racism is still alive in our country.

Especially with it being Black History month, I wanted to share some tools with you all for speaking with your young ones about this difficult subject. Teaching kids about racism at a young age is incredibly important because it gives them a foundation to build information on as they get older.

Before you read through my tips for how to teach kids about racism at a young age, I want you to understand that this isn’t just something that minorities need to be talking about with their children. It’s important for white parents to have these conversations, too. It’s the only way that we can raise the next generation to do better.

1. First, understand your own biases.

Before you can sit down and have any conversation with kids about race, you have to look at yourself. In 2020, I really looked at how I acted, my thoughts, and beliefs and had more open conversations about understanding my white privilege. If you don’t do these things, you will never be able to have an honest conversation with your kids, for real.

2. Encourage them to celebrate differences.

For years, I heard myself say things like “I don’t see color.” And then over the years, I learned why teaching kids not to see color is actually incredibly problematic. It’s okay to look different and those differences should be celebrated instead of condemned. Differences are what makes the world go wrong and the sooner that young children understand this the better.

3. Read them “A Kids Book About Racism.”

We were recently gifted A Kids Book About Racism and it’s been a really wonderful resource for teaching kids about racism. It is a wonderful bedtime read that gives parents the tools to talk to young children about racism in ways they can understand. You can purchase it here.

4. Practice what you preach.

Kids can listen to what you say all day long, but at the end of the day, they are going to mimic what they see you do. Be mindful of that as much as you possibly can because their little eyes are always watching and absorbing and simple acts of being anti-racist speaks volumes to little ones.

5. Teach them how to be an ally.

Staying silent whenever we witness racist behavior happening is no longer acceptable, nor should it ever have been. Teach kids easy ways to be an ally such as listening to their friends of different races, reading more books about different races, making signs, standing up for others, etc. I have a wonderful guide here for easy reference.