on the way home from preschool last Thursday, Marlie decides to start talking about color (as in race). Out of the blue, She blurts out...
Marlie: Mommy, I'm black
Me: Okay (followed by laughter).
Marlie: Why are you laughing at me?
Me: I'm not. I am just surprised and happy that you know that. Where did you learn that you are black?
Marlie: I saw a wormy squirmy today.
Me: (Now I am confused, but I want to stay on topic). Is the wormy squirmy black?
Marlie: No, he's slimy!
Me: Okay. Is daddy black?
Marlie: Yes.
Me: Is mommy black?
Marlie: No. You are yellow.
Me: (doing a double take). Mommy is black too.
Marlie: No! I want you to be yellow.
Me: If you say so (shaking my head. no sense in arguing with her at this ages because apparently she thinks I am a crayon)
...to be continued
13 comments:
How cute- how it went from squirmy worms to ethnicity, we can only ponder, lol
Would have been great to capture more of these conversations with my daughter. You will cherish these.
Too funny! I was 3 when I started noticing race too and was so frightened of my fair-skinned grandma with green eyes. I used to tell her she was white and she'd laugh!
lol, kids say the funniest things!
Hahahaha! At least you weren't in a western when she called you yellow. That always seems to be a gun-drawing insult. :P
Dawn
This is seriously hysterical! You should link it up on my Sat laughs:)
hahaha kids say the cutest things!!
For some reason, I was not aware of race until I was about 8. My grandmother, who was from the deep south was coming for a visit and my mother had a talk with me. She told me that I should ignore anything that my grandmother might say about a friend of mine, who happened to be black. I was very confused as to why my grandmother would say anything and my mom had a time of it, trying to explain racism to me. My group of friends ranged from fair as can be (me) to my friend, who was very dark, but we had lots of shades in between. For whatever reason, I guess my grandmother only took issue with African Americans. Later, my grandfather came with her for another visit and he had plenty of wonderful comments to say about Asians and Mexicans. I never visited them during the last 20 years that they were alive, because I knew I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore. Before, I was too afraid of them, or shocked to say anything. One time, my grandfather said to me, "So, you're still Catholic..." That totally caught me off guard, as I never heard of anyone having a problem with a person being Catholic. Anyway, it appears that even my completely white father wasn't good enough for my grandfather, because he was Irish Catholic. So, with someone who says stuff like that, I knew I'd say something that would get the whole family in a fight, if I visited them, so I never did. They never met my kids, as a result. Of course, having kids made it an even bigger deal anyway, because I would have HAD to say something, just because I wouldn't want my kids thinking that my silence meant that what my grandfather said was okay. My parents raised us in a completely non-racist environment, but neither of them had the balls to tell my grandfather to go to he**, which is where he probably is at this very moment (I hate to speak ill of the dead, especially of my own flesh and blood, who was very generous to me financially, but he was a bastard).
For some reason, I was not aware of race until I was about 8. My grandmother, who was from the deep south was coming for a visit and my mother had a talk with me. She told me that I should ignore anything that my grandmother might say about a friend of mine, who happened to be black. I was very confused as to why my grandmother would say anything and my mom had a time of it, trying to explain racism to me. My group of friends ranged from fair as can be (me) to my friend, who was very dark, but we had lots of shades in between. For whatever reason, I guess my grandmother only took issue with African Americans. Later, my grandfather came with her for another visit and he had plenty of wonderful comments to say about Asians and Mexicans. I never visited them during the last 20 years that they were alive, because I knew I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore. Before, I was too afraid of them, or shocked to say anything. One time, my grandfather said to me, "So, you're still Catholic..." That totally caught me off guard, as I never heard of anyone having a problem with a person being Catholic. Anyway, it appears that even my completely white father wasn't good enough for my grandfather, because he was Irish Catholic. So, with someone who says stuff like that, I knew I'd say something that would get the whole family in a fight, if I visited them, so I never did. They never met my kids, as a result. Of course, having kids made it an even bigger deal anyway, because I would have HAD to say something, just because I wouldn't want my kids thinking that my silence meant that what my grandfather said was okay. My parents raised us in a completely non-racist environment, but neither of them had the balls to tell my grandfather to go to he**, which is where he probably is at this very moment (I hate to speak ill of the dead, especially of my own flesh and blood, who was very generous to me financially, but he was a bastard).
Hahahha that's hilarious! I can't wait to have this type on convos with my toddler.
HA! I was driving around my three-year-old niece the other day and she says, "I hate hanging with my mommy. She's so bossy." My reply was that I was sure she loves her mom. After two minutes of silence she says, "Well if I died in a car accident I would be sad to leave mommy and daddy behind. They would be sad too, even if I was in heaven." I had no idea what to respond to her suddenly morbid turn of conversation. So I nodded and smiled. Kids say the funniest things. - Katy
Bwahahahahahaha!!!! Hey Yellow Mama :) The talks of color in my house is crazy.
I love this idea for a post. And I love that she knows she's black. Deaglan has never said anything about how Mommy is brown and Daddy isn't. I wonder sometimes what he thinks about it all.
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