There's lots of things I could write about in light of this week's events in Boston and I will at a later date, but what just happened in my living room with my daughter's friend, who is spending the night shocked me and made me proud at the same time. See my daughter's friend doesn't think races should mix. When this statement came out of her mouth I was shocked a seventh grader in this day and age would have such an archaic opinion about people. Apparently my daughter failed to tell her friend that her aunt, my sister is black. No one has told the poor girl that Elijah, Stephen and Zeke all have close friends that are "minorities." No one told the girl that my school children are predominantly minorities and I encourage my personal children to view them as family too. No one told the girl that she attends a school and lives in a community where she is the minority!
Like all parents I wonder if I've done a good job instilling knowledge and values that I find important (like bathing, wearing clean underware, tolerance, and patience when dealing with ignorance). Its not that my kids don't know that racism exisit, they do. Its not that I don't know that people raise their kids with some racist ideology, I do. Its the fact that I wanted confirmation that my children don't share this little girl's ignorant views on inter racial interactions. Confirmation I got! Here are summaries of my children's responses to the little girl.
Elijah: Well isn't she ignorant! Obviously she hasn't watched a lot of tv or noticed that white people are not always a majority.
Colin: Ummmm my aunt is black, my mom's volleyball team is black and I wouldn't like not being able to mix with them. If I was brown then you wouldn't associate with me and I could have the tv to myself. Mom how can I get browner?
Josie: I don't care what color my husband is as long as he's rich and loves me! (Okay, so I have some work to do with the materialistic nature of Josie's views on marriage).
So I'm proud my kids don't have racist viewpoints. At least I've accomplished something!
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