Do kids see race?

Do kids see race

Barack Obama tweeted recently ‘No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion……’ I am starting to wonder if, as well as pure ignorance, has political correctness contributed to Racism. Obama is right, so at what age do you start noticing and worrying about racism? My ten and eight year old sons were sitting in the back of the car with a friend of theirs who is mixed race. Amongst the shouting and laughing coming from the back seat, I heard one of my sons say ‘you’re so black…..you….’ He couldn’t finish because I hit my brakes, pulled over and totally lost my head.  I started going into a rant about how I hadn’t brought him up to say things like that. Before I could finish his friend stopped me. ‘Kate, we were just roasting each other! I just said to Harri, you’re so white, you must be invisible when its snows’ I laughed! and I was so relieved. But It made me sit back and think, Am I creating issues about colour that the kids don’t even see. My kids aren’t racist, not even slightly, so why did I go so mad when I heard him say that? Because, to make reference someone’s skin colour in a negative way is racist.  But,  Is it only racist if that person takes offence? As their mum,  it’s my job to make sure they are brought knowing what is right and wrong. I remember when Charlie was at nursery, he had the most wonderful teacher, Mrs Patel.  One day she pulled me to one side to say that another teacher had asked Charlie what he wanted to do.  He asked if the ‘chocolate’ lady could read him another story. I WAS MORTIFIED.  I couldn’t apologise enough. Mrs Patel hadn’t told me out of disappointment.  She thought it was the most wonderful thing she had ever heard! This little three year old was just describing her as best he could and she was nothing but flattered that he enjoyed her reading to him. The Political Correctness that has been bashed into me over the years had almost convinced me that my little boy was showing racist traits at three years old! Right now, my kids see past skin colour, and I’m not going to change that Back to Obamas Tweet……..how cute is George and his fiend Si-si….. What are your thoughts? X

Good morning Saturday

Good morning Saturday

I thought I would write a quick post as I sit here at 5.30am on Saturday! I’m hugging my coffee and feeling totally exhasted. The kids have been back one week and it has already started! The sickness bug has hit our house! Luckily its not the sort of bug that knocks you off your feet for 24 hours.   It seems to just bring on uncobtrolable vomiting and once you have been sick, it moves onto its next victim. My washing machine has been on constantly since Thursday and ive been through a bottle of carpet cleaner. My expensive candles that I only bought a week ago are nearly finished and my house still smells like a sewer. Libby wins the award for minimal inconvenience as she managed to keep her pukey mess to one small pile. Mikey managed to puke in my car, despite having pulled over and his door being thrown open! Cleaning capets and washing bedsheets is one thing…..cleaning chunks from the door pockets of a car is a different ball game. George started crying in the middle of the night (not unusual).  So I left him for five minutes before I checked on him incase he fell back to sleep. How bad did i feel when I went into his room and and he was covered, head to toe in vomit. At 1am I was bathing a stinky baby and stripping his bed. Harrison has a fear of being sick and has slight OCD. He has basically locked himself in a room and banned anyone from going near him.  That still didnt save him though and he puked on mikeys bed (who was in with me) at 3am. Baby Arthur may or may not have had it.  I spend most of my days covered in his sick and changing his nappies, so it seems he is in a constant tummy bug state. So that just leaves Charlie…….. Oh…and did I mention, as payback for heading to bed a bit earlier than usual, my dog left me a wonderfully smelly package on my hallway floor. FYI Vanish Gold is my best friend during times like this.  It gets every stain and smell out of the carpet! Hope your weekend is kicking off better than mine!