Advice Please!

[Lalamumtoone]

Hi,
I'm mum to a DD aged 4.9 who started school in September. I'm Indian and my husband is white British. We live in a mainly white rural area, however my daughter sees lots of my family and lots of my DH's family. We've always talked about her being part of 2 fantastic cultures. She has started to talk about how she is the only brown girl in school and why is everyone white? She also asked a very valid question - why are all my dolls white? We do have 'different colour' dolls - but she is clearly focussing on the white ones (which I admit there are more of...)

I've 2 questions really,

1. Is there anyone out there in the same situation and how are you dealing with it. We talk positively all the time (having the best of both worlds, being part of mummy and daddy etc). Should we leave it at that or delve further?
   

1. I would like to get her a more varied range of books portraying mixed race families - any recommendations - also any recommendation on dolls - she has Baby Maddy from ELC. Any others?
   

Thanks!

[FireOverBethlehem]

Slightly different family make up, but Grandma's Saturday Soup has a black father of Jamaican heritage and a white mother.

It comes in dual language versions, English and Polish, Urdu etc so if your family speak another language that you're keen to teach your daughter, you could get one with that language. Our copy of the book came from a book sale at the library, so it might be worth looking for a copy at your local library rather than paying the prices on Amazon.

Amazon also have a section on Ethnic toys if that helps, although some of them are a bit tenuous to say the least.

[Silver15]

Me and DH are both black. We have 2 DS 1 with a light skin tone and other dark skin tone. DS2 asked me why is he darker than the rest of the family and the darkest in school. I explained to him that my dad and DH's mum were very dark. He was pleased to know that he looked liked my dad even though he never met him as he is deceased. DS is only 4 but was happy with the explanation. Just talk to her. I'm also always talking about how black is good, watch black entertainment with DCs and celebrate any achievement that is black. I always telly DCs to be proud of who they are as I know it was an issue in dc1 school and he knew what racism meant by the time he was 5. Dc1 has just finished reading a book abt racism and the cultural revolution in the USA. He chose it as his reading book from school.

[misslala1987]

Yes i can sort of relate. i am white british and my other half is black british of caribbean decent,we have 3 children aged 8, 5, 2. The are we live in is pleasent low crime area with good school and gradually has become more mulicultural over the past few years but it still isnt an area you would call multicultural and is prodominantly white. I think all us mother of mixed children can do is help our children embrace who they are, educate them on their history and make sure they have a relationship with both sides of their family. my kids eat caribbean food aswell (yes im white but i can make a mean jerk chicken and sweet potatoe pone! lol) where as their dad on the other hand though being a proud black man, considers himself very british and is abit of a history buff and likes educating them about british history too. one book my kids like is 'silver shoes' and 'thats my mum' is a great book. im sure theres plenty more which ill also look into :)