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3 Tips For Raising Mixed Race Kids
Therapist Advice: Raising Confident Mixed Race Children
During their developmental stages, children are confronted with various issues that effect them into adulthood. Mixed race kids are no different but also have separate issues that other children may not face in the same way. With proper advice and encouragement, mixed race kids can be given the tools to create confident and capable adults. The 3 best tips for raising mixed race kids is to teach him how to celebrate themselves, develop their identity, and overcome prejudice. This article will go into detail on how to do just that.
Celebrating Mixed Race Kids
Photography By: Polina Kuzovkova
When’s the last time you were celebrated? Did it make it you feel nice or recognized? This is something that many mixed race kids need. Being celebrated combats the common thought they have that their being different is bad or weird.
- Seeing The Beauty In Themselves
While many see mixed race kids as beautiful, we are much tougher on ourselves. Your child may not see this and struggle with being different. Help them see what we see, how beautiful they actually are.
- Seeing The Beauty In Diversity
When you seeing something different point out to your child on how that makes it unique and special. Teach them that there is no normal, just different people making different people. Help them to see how exciting and colorful this makes communities and families.
- Celebrating The Best Of Both Worlds
Teach your child that every race and culture is beautiful in their own way. Teach them to see how they are the product of two beautiful things coming together to create something beautiful.
Identity Issues of Mixed Race Kids
Discovering who you are and deciding who you want to become is a major part of building or own personal foundation. Mixed race kids may struggle with this as they may look different from others. Here are a few ways to encourage them on this journey of self-discovery.
Photography By: Polina Kuzovkova
- Struggle With Not Seeing Others Like Them
If your child does not see others like them they may feel alone or like an outcast. Help them to see that everyone is different in their own way. Explore areas or watch films where they can see their features in others too.
- Finding A Sense Of Belonging In Multiple Cultures
Your child may feel that they have to pick a culture or side they feel closer too. Help them to see that they don’t need to choose because they belong to both despite looking different.
- Encourage Them To Be Themselves
Help your child to see that not only is it ok to be yourself but that it is freeing as well. While culture is beautiful, being who you want to be and not who you think others want you to be is empowering.
Prejudice Towards Mixed Race Kids
Photography By: Polina Kuzovkova
Help your child to see prejudice for what it is, fear based ignorance. Some mixed race kids may see prejudice as proof that something is wrong with them. Here are a few ways to educate them on how prejudice actually reveals what is wrong with others.
- Teach About Envy and Jealousy
Help your child to realize that people are self-centered. They may not like you because you have a trait that they wish they had. They may not be happy or feel confident in themselves. They may think others will like you more than them.
- Teach About Fear
Teach your child that many people are afraid of things changing or being different. Help them to see that this is an irrational or silly fear to have. Help them to see to that many people are prejudice because they are afraid of things they don’t know.
- Teach About Ignorance
Help your child to realize that many prejudice people aren’t bad people, they were just taught poorly. They may have not been raised in a diverse area. They may have had or heard of someone having a bad experience with someone different and now think all different people are the same.
Important Tips To Remember
- See the beauty in diversity
- Find belonging in multiple cultures
- Be yourself
- Know prejudice is just fear and ignorance
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By: Jordan Joachim
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