Zoomie
19-02-2011, 04:24 PM
not sure how to describe this politically correctly, so please excuse my descriptions, they are intended to explain the situation.
mindee recently started nursery.
the children painted a self portrait.
mindee is 3.5y.
from my broad observation of all the portraits, there seems to be 3 types of skin tones, although there are probably slight variations in these.
generally there are those which are white, mixed colour, and dark coloured.
mindee did hers as mixed colour (probably guided by nursery)
Personally I have never liked to try and classify mindee's skin colour. She is a bit darker than my DD who is white, but I wouldn't term her mixed or dark coloured. Any discussions we have every had have been that mindee has darker skin, DD has lighter skin. Mindees skin is a bit darker than her brothers, as he is fair and she is not (dark brown hair). We sometimes comment on skin tones in books.
anyhow mum has been in touch to say she is concerned that mindee is getting low self esteem cos she considers her skin tone to be dark. i told mum where i thought this might have come from (nursery self portraits) and that I have never said mindee has dark skin.
mindee does have some dark colour in her family (grand-dad) but rest are white, and really i am not sure what i should be doing / saying and how i can stop her from getting low self esteem because she considers herself dark ????
mindee recently started nursery.
the children painted a self portrait.
mindee is 3.5y.
from my broad observation of all the portraits, there seems to be 3 types of skin tones, although there are probably slight variations in these.
generally there are those which are white, mixed colour, and dark coloured.
mindee did hers as mixed colour (probably guided by nursery)
Personally I have never liked to try and classify mindee's skin colour. She is a bit darker than my DD who is white, but I wouldn't term her mixed or dark coloured. Any discussions we have every had have been that mindee has darker skin, DD has lighter skin. Mindees skin is a bit darker than her brothers, as he is fair and she is not (dark brown hair). We sometimes comment on skin tones in books.
anyhow mum has been in touch to say she is concerned that mindee is getting low self esteem cos she considers her skin tone to be dark. i told mum where i thought this might have come from (nursery self portraits) and that I have never said mindee has dark skin.
mindee does have some dark colour in her family (grand-dad) but rest are white, and really i am not sure what i should be doing / saying and how i can stop her from getting low self esteem because she considers herself dark ????