Should partners coming from different cultures worry about the attitude of other people towards their child? What should they do if their little one encounters difficulties fitting in due to his different appearance? Should they adopt the mentality “color does not matter” and not address the elephant in the room? Should they avoid talking to their kid about race because according to some people, this automatically creates an issue that was not even there to begin with? Should parents of multiracial children move to another location where people seem more flexible? It sounds absurd, but these questions are quite common among such parents nowadays even though, taking into account that multiracial youth represents the fastest-growing group of people, multiracialism should no longer be a novelty. The reality is that we are living in a harsh society centered around division and hatred, which causes mixed-race children to deal with serious identity issues. Therefore, parents coming from different environments have a bigger responsibility than “normal” ones.

Prepare your child to face the negative opinions of strangers.

Undoubtedly, raising a confident mixed-race child represents a real challenge that parents must face whether they are ready for it or not. Sometimes, love is not enough to prepare an innocent kid for the outside world. Instead of making them believe that they are part of a fantasy world where everything is pure, parents must adopt a realistic attitude and become aware of the fact that they can only protect their children to a certain point. Once they leave the house and deal with strangers, they can become the subject of prejudice and hate. In fact, it might sound scary, but the problems can start even from the preschool, not just in adolescence or adulthood. Normally, racism should not represent a concern for a small kid, but he needs to know about it and understand that it is not his fault. His multiracial heritage matters the least because society treats everyone the same – cruelly. You do not have to do something bad for others to consider you a bad person; all it takes is a quick glance at your physical appearance.

Your kid will notice that he is different from his classmates

On the other hand, you do not have to wait for other people to tell you that your little one is different. One day, he is going to look around carefully and notice that he is not like his classmates, from skin tone and hair texture to eye color. Consequently, he will not know where he belongs to thus leading to a feeling of confusion or even worse, he will feel the need of choosing a side or a certain culture. Thus, you need to prepare and always have a good answer at the back of your mind. Even more, as a parent and a mature adult, you have the obligation to instill a sense of self-worth and self-esteem within your child. Shortly, parents should not only discuss with their kids about their multicultural heritage, but also teach them how to embrace it and be proud of their origins. After all, they are unique because they represent the power of love and affection, not to mention the proof that sometimes distance or cultural differences do not represent an obstacle. Cross-cultural relationships are more and more common.

Teach your little one to cherish his multiracial heritage

Apparently, race, religion, language and culture divide people instead of making them understand and cherish diversity. Kids growing into this world are vulnerable and even the smallest things could hurt them, not to mention about marginalization and bullying, which can have a catastrophic effect on them. The truth is that some kids grow into weak adults susceptible to substance abuse problems and even suicide. In conclusion, color does not matter, at least for some people and addressing the elephant in the room is not a mistake; it is the right thing to do. Of course, other children grow up as adults who are not afraid to take pride in their heritage and as a parent you have to help your little one fall into the second category. Yes, society evolved and is now open to more ideas, but people still separate or classify other people based on racialism. You need to reject any myths or misconceptions regarding mixed-raced kids. Since kids usually look up to their parents and consider them role models, adopting the right attitude is crucial. Be confident and successful and your little one will be the same, regardless of his color.

Ways to instill confidence in your mixed-race child

Until your child becomes a mature adolescent or adult, you have to be there for him to offer your protection when he faces negative responses from other people. Moreover, you have to know how to transform the negative into positive, even when it proves to be very difficult. Of course, the most important thing for parents is to bond with their multiracial kids. Since the identity issue will not go away very soon, you have to address it by sharing culture and sticking together as a family. Tell your little one how lucky he is to have an open mind, be part of two different cultures and know two different languages. Most people nowadays resort to Skype English lessons in order to succeed professionally, but your child can easily master the most spoken language in the world by hearing you and other members of the family using it daily. Furthermore, if your kid goes to a school with colleagues from diverse ethnic backgrounds, he will be able to get along with them just fine. In fact, he will no longer feel like an outsider.

Some families with multiracial heritage prefer to choose a locality or a neighborhood where they feel comfortable. If your kid does not manage to fit in, you can always change the location. However, do not let him believe that you are running from other people’s opinions. You can prove to him that you are not afraid to speak up against racism and protect your rights. Finally, yet importantly, participate together in cultural events, embrace integration, engage in discussions about heritage and let him form his own opinion or choose his label after exposing him to diverse materials.