Toddler Racism?
It was a rainy Tuesday when I took the kids to the local mall indoor play area. This thing is a lifesaver when your kids are filled with energy, but the elements aren't exactly cooperating. There are usually a few moms there with more than a few kids, and this particular day was no exception. The kids were playing pretty well together until I noticed a girl denying a boy access to a certain tunnel with a raccoon on top -- a highly desired location at this park. Not too unusual though, except this girl had let my daughters in the same tunnel several times, and at that moment they sat just behind her, oblivious to the turmoil at the other end. Maybe she treated this kid badly because he was a boy, but I couldn't help but notice that he was the only black kid in the play place. I watched as she denied him entry with a harsh nastiness in her voice. Then, when she left a few minutes later, he tried again. She saw the attempt and hurried over to shoo him out again. Later, he was ...