While it’s not exactly a “Green” topic as such, I think most people who are concerned about the environment can appreciate this offer for a free Anti-Racist Parent Handbook. You don’t have to sign up for a newsletter or anything, just download it directly from their site.

The advice in this ebook comes from submissions by readers of the anti-racist parents website. The varying viewpoints should make it easier to choose the things that would be most workable for your family.

Racism is still a tragically real problem, and it’s easy to let the minor bits of racism slide because you just don’t think they are that bad. But you should try to help your children understand that sometimes they will see or hear things that should not be acceptable. How else will they know how to cope?

Race and kids can be an interesting issue. One day at the grocery store my daughter looked at the girl bagging our groceries, who was black. Now, my daughter had seen black people before, but for some reason this time the question came out…

“Mommy, why is her skin brown?”

The girl positively glared at us. My answer was simply that she was born that way and that some people have different colored skin. I then reminded her of some of her classmates.

Honestly, it disappointed me that I could get such a hostile look for what was such an innocent question. It just happened to be the day that my daughter thought to question something she had been taking for granted in the past.

My daughter did ask more or less the same question some weeks later and got a gentle response from the cashier she was asking about. After all, if we’re to teach our children to be accepting of different races, we need to accept that sometimes they’re going to be curious about it.

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