Why do I always assume the worst?

[Katymac]

It was book day today & DD dressed as a little girl from Ghana (she is mixed race Jamaican/UKwhite)

I was talking to a school friend about all the lovely costumes and complimented his - I asked if he liked DD's costume and he said "I don't really like Indian people"

I said "That's not very nice ...and anyway she was dressed in an African dress" and stormed off

How should I have handled it/what should I have said?

I feel a bit stupid really as he was only 9 and I had a go at him

No it wasn't out of order at all. As a mum of a mixed race child I can understand just how upset you are at the thought that another child is rejecting yours just because of her colour. When you think about it it's crazy isn't it? A 9 yr old boy saying he doesn't like Indians! I hope our kids don't become racist when they're older. Dh (black) told me he used to get bullied by a mixed race boy in his class who used to call him a nigger. Funny thing is dh says the boy looked more 'black' than him - not in skin colour but in features. The boy in question had a mum who used to call him a "fucking nigger" - nice.

I hope things get better for your dd at school. Don't feel guilty about moving out there - you've had the courage to do what I wish I could. Anyway ds goes to nursery in a very multi cultural area in London but he is the only mixed race child in his class and all the rest are white. Maybe this will influence him.....who knows.

Thanks you everyone - I just feel a bit tender & raw about this subject atm