Teaching Your Baby About Color and Race
How to teach your baby about color and race should be on every parent’s mind. It is never too early to approach this subject because young babies do see color and race. In fact, as soon as your baby begin to see color, they are also able to distinguish the color of a person’s skin.
At that point, whether you recognize it or not, your child has been exposed to the concept of race. Like so many other things in parenting, your attitude toward race will become your child’s attitude as well.
When Do Babies Learn About Race?
Babies first begin to see color when they are about three months old. They can also begin to tell the difference in a person’s skin color. So this is when babies begin to develop the concept of race.
You can help your baby learn about color, race, and differences in the same way we have talked about introducing music. Do it from the very beginning.
How Do Babies Learn to See Color?
When your baby is born, they can only see bold, high-contrasting items at a close range (about 8-10 inches). This is the reason infant toys and books have graphic, black-and white patterns.
At first, your baby’s eyes grow to identify and focus on objects. Then, your baby can start to tell the difference in colors by the age of 3-4 months old.
Another interesting thing is that babies like to look at books that show faces. Your baby is able to process human faces using nearly the same level of brain activity as an adult!
By the time your baby is five months old, they can notice the difference in whether or not someone has the same skin color as their parent or primary caregiver.
sharply contrasting like these four patterns.
Are You Teaching Your Baby Your Biases About Race?
Your baby can learn about the differences in people in any number of ways. But, first you must understand your own biases. Most of us suffer from implicit biases.
We all have them and need to identify what they are. Then we have to be willing to do the serious work of overcoming those biases. While you are doing this, it is okay for your baby to see and be involved as you learn and change your attitudes.
I am sad to admit that I have had thoughts about different races of people that were not generous at all.
I was not raised to think that way. Unfortunately, I chose to spend time with people who had those kinds of attitudes.
Ironically, at the same time, I would wonder what I could do to make a difference in racial and cultural tensions. However, I continued to use the old “but I’m just one person” excuse and did nothing.
Fortunately, I chose to remove myself from that environment. Then, about five years ago, I began the work of changing some of my attitudes about other races and cultures.
I became involved in an organization that brings together different groups of people. We spend time finding our common ground, work through our differences, and build relationships.
That is the work we all must do.
We Each Do Our Part to Make a Difference
In the last several months, I have realized that I can’t solve the whole problem. But, I can do what I know how to do well.
I am a good Suzuki violin teacher and a good Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) Baby Class teacher.
My passion is to bring the Suzuki philosophy of instrumental music education to as many children and parents as possible. I have three goals I would like to fulfill.
The first goal is to make a bigger effort to bring more children of color into my violin studio and Baby Classes. I can use music to reach out farther into the world and embrace differences.
The second goal is to take Baby Classes to parents and their babies in economically depressed areas of the city where I live.
The third goal is to continue writing about the Suzuki philosophy of educating babies and children of all races and share it with all of you reading right now.
You may have already experienced the difference the Suzuki philosophy has made in your own family. If you have, share it with others.
The Suzuki philosophy is for the education and happiness of ALL children and their families.
Different, But the Same
Dr. Suzuki developed his idea for the Mother-Tongue Method of Education. He realized that ALL children easily learn their native language.
Some languages are quite difficult to learn. Yet, babies learn those languages in the same way wherever they live and regardless of their color.
They listen to their parents and others speak. First, they learn words and phrases. Next, they put them together to make sentences.
Sentences become paragraphs and language grows. So what is different (the language) is really the same (the language learned by listening).
Dr. Suzuki had a heart for all the children of the world. He worked tirelessly to apply the Mother-Tongue Method of Education to musical instruction.
But, the Mother-Tongue Method is more than just music education. It is a philosophy that believes that Every Child Can Learn. This is the first of the Suzuki Early Childhood Education Beliefs.
Therefore, it is possible that every child can learn to embrace the differences in people, IF they see the adults in their lives modeling those attitudes.
You are the one who will teach your baby about color and race by what you say and do.
Teaching Your Baby About Differences Step-by-Step
The first step you can take to teach your baby about race and color is easy. Simply chose books, photographs, videos, and toys of different people and cultures.
Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) Baby Class always ends with reading a story. Many of those stories address the differences in people on the level of a baby/toddler.
Your next step is to consider your circle of friends and associates. How diverse are they?
Look for ways to expand your friendships and associations with people of other cultures and races. Then you will be teaching your baby through those experiences as well.
There is another step you can take and it won’t cost you anything but your time. Talk to your child! Tell them about your own family’s diversity. Also, tell them about others who have stood for making the world better.
Share how your family members are/were smart, strong, brave, or funny. Also, don’t hesitate to tell about the failings of family members. We learn from the mistakes of others and our own.
Some of my fondest memories are the stories my parents told me about the things they did when they were children. They also told us those stories often.
Finally, if you are bilingual, then speak your native language, as well as, your adopted language to your baby. You will then give them the gift of being bilingual.
That ability that you nurture now will help your baby in the future.
SECE Baby Class Activities Help Teach About Color and Race
SECE Baby Class presents several activities that can help teach babies about race and color.
One of those activities is stacking drums and counting them. Parents who are from different countries are invited to lead the counting in their native language.
Some Baby Class activities also encourage sharing and passing an object, such as a ball or stuffed animal, to the next child in the circle.
Other activities teach about helping others and taking responsibility for instruments that are played.
So, babies/toddlers can learn about all these things in Baby Class. Then, they can also learn about color and race.
Begin to teach your baby about color and race now,. Then, it will become a routing conversation that you will have with them as they grow.
Even if your child is not a baby, it’s never too late to begin the conversation. Remember, Dr. Suzuki said, “Knowledge + 10,000 times (repetition)=Ability.
If you talk about color and race often with your baby, they will develop the ability to embrace the differences in others.
Dr. Suzuki would say that children can be trained in the ability to embrace differences in people. Ability Develops Early is second SECE Belief.
The world desperately needs you to start this conversation with your baby.
Model What You Believe About Color and Race
It is up to your to model the attitudes and values that you want to see in the world. Your baby is watching you and learning.
The heart-breaking truth is that research shows that children of ALL races start to develop a “preference for whiteness” around the age of 4-5 years old.
Children of color especially NEED to see and hear that who they are and what they look like is very important.
All parents must provide an Environment (that) Nurtures Growth. That is the third SECE Belief.
I won’t belabor the point that the current pandemic has contributed to social and political unrest.
Life has been very difficult across the globe. Be honest in expressing your emotions.
Even babies know and feel when you are stressed. But, you must find a way to work through it and even find ways to laugh and have fun with your baby.
Suzuki ECE Baby Class activities (music, singing, creative movement, and reading stories) can be a part of your routine.
Model the hopes and dreams you have for your child. Help create a more loving and compassionate world for all children.
You Can Make a Difference
One way or another, your baby will learn about color. They will also learn about race.
Teach them about differences in people. Those differences need to be a part of their world.
But first, you must examine your own attitudes about color and race. Choose to make those differences a part of your world as well.
Suzuki ECE Baby Class uses musical activities to bring people’s differences together. Then, they can learn to make the world a better place for the future.
That may seem like a lofty goal. But, consider that Dr. Suzuki lived through the devastation of World War II Japan.
He spent his entire life sharing his Mother-Tongue Method of Education idea.
He turned it into a musical movement that swept the world and it continues to do so even now.
Suzuki ECE Baby Class is, many ways, the culmination of his educational philosophy. He began with figuring out how to teach a 2-1/2 year old little boy to play violin.
SECE Baby Class teachers now use that same Mother-Tongue Method to teach babies as young as a few weeks old.
Babies can learn about color and race through music with their parents. What parents teach their children from birth affects the future of everyone.
Baby Class available to parents of babies and toddlers.
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I think you and your baby/toddler will really enjoy them. If so, go to the “Your Musical Baby” Class link below to join the class and begin your “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey”!
On the “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey” with you,
Susan
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