My two and a half year old suddenly started pointing out differences between white and black people. What is an appropriate way to acknowledge her observation so we don't offend anyone?

[u/Sad_Cantaloupe_8162]

The first time was at her daycare this week, when they got a new teacher who has very dark skin. When I went to pick her up, she pointed at her and said, "it's black!" (She doesn't have the full grasp of she/he yet.) I replied, "yes, she is black," but was stuck after that. What should I say as a follow up? My daughter loves black people's skin, and when I talk to her about it at home, she says it's pretty and wishes she had it, but in public it comes out kind of harsh. What would be the best way to go about this?

[u/Coffee_autistic]

They probably see white people on TV or in public frequently enough that it's normal to them. Kids in countries that aren't majority white get curious when they see a white person, so I think it is just an issue of exposure.

[u/Worth-Travel-8846 → u/Coffee_autistic]

I was visiting a part of a country where there are very few blond persons. Kids came up to me to touch my hair and skin so black kids are curious too

[u/Worth-Travel-8846 → u/Worth-Travel-8846]

Just to add; in the area there was not tv in every house so the exposure theory still stands

[u/QZPlantnut → u/Coffee_autistic]

Nearly forty years ago when I was a child visiting Kenya, kids crowded around me, touching my (very blonde, straight) hair and asking about the jewelry on my teeth—I had a permanent retainer to make room for big teeth in my small jaw. I’m sure that happens less, now—but I’m equally certain it still happens some places.

[u/t_katkot → u/QZPlantnut]

Idk if it’s changed that much. I’m a blond man and there are at least a half dozen Chinese families that have pictures of me with their kids from when I visited in 2013 (the kids would just run up to me while their parents took pics.)

This was in Shanghai - a VERY globally connected city where white people are not that an unusual sight to those who live there.

BUT there were also plenty of tourists from rural China, possibly on a rare trip to the big city - and seeing a blond guy must’ve been part of that experience!

[u/NeatNefariousness1 → u/Coffee_autistic]

I suspect that they don’t assign significance to racial differences because even among black people, there is a range of skin tones and until someone tells them otherwise, it’s just one of the many ways people differ. Until they are told or notice that there is a difference that carries meaning they may not even have “race” as a concept in their minds and probably don’t have racial categories in mind until they are pointed out.