Race and Space

I know that we're supposed to be talking to the kids about race, but I don't really know how to do it. So I end up doing it in really lame ways (I think). We have books about people of all different cultures and ethnicities, and we also have books specific about race, about how there are people of all different colors and isn't that great, etc. But it's hard to know what to say to a 2-year old. We're in the car, and we see African American kids walking to school, and I say "Look, those kids have brown skin, just like so-and-so (somebody they know). People have skin with all different colors! All skin colors are good! There are people with all different types of skin colors, and every color is pretty!" Duh. So, so dumb and lame. Then they'll say something like "My favorite color is blue today!"

Today we went to school and an African American dad held the door for us. I was holding Milo and Nora was walking next to me, holding my hand. As we passed right in front of the man, Milo said (RIGHT in front of him), "That man has a black face!" The man and I sort of simultaneously spoke. I said something super lame, like "That's right, everybody has different colored faces", and the man said, matter of factly, "That's right, I have a black face." I was thinking, God, he's probably so sick of crap like that, and now he's getting it from my kid.

I really have no idea what I should do in cases like that, or how I should handle it...should I apologize? The dad was quickly ushering his own kid into a different classroom, so he was on the move. I know I need to keep talking to the kids about it, but I'm probably not doing it in the best way. One of the little girls in the kids' class is Black, and it's not like Milo and Nora don't ever see or play with people of color, but it is interesting how Milo really seemed to be struck by it this morning with this particular dad.

And on a totally different note, here is one of the most wonderful videos ever of a family project. They decided to send a camera up into space attached to a balloon, and then retrieve it. What an amazing movie:

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.