Skin color - to explain to a 4 yo.

color is the bane of our life. Do you see any dark dolls?Would you buy one if they were available?You say you also had issues as a child. How did you get over it?

Just tell your child that Krishana was dark too. She is too young to know the subtle nuances but keep on showing all dark heroes and heroins and praising them.

You dont want to confront your MIL but you can always tackle your Nanny.

 

I think I have said this before for another poster. Repeating the same here again for you.

fair is the key to beauty. It is the truth; however it may sound bitter and hard to accept.
Let me tell you that I am the only dusky person in my entire family, where everyone is fair.
But being fair alone doesn't make you beautiful. And there are more keys to look beautiful.
So, stop feeling inferior for being brown.
Tell your child honestly the truth. Yes, there are some fair girls, they are beautiful for their colour. There are some girls with sharp features, and they are beautiful for that. There are some girls with long straight hair, and some with heavy curly hair and they are beautiful for that.
Some girls are beautiful because of their slim body, and some are beautiful for their chubby cheeks and some are even beautiful for their strong confidence level. More so, many girls are beautiful for their caring and warm nature.

Teach your kids about all such beauties at the right time as she understands. Tell her fair is beautiful, but there are other beauties too.

Prepare her to learn to understand and appreciate the beauty in every person.

If she calls you brown, accept it with proud. Don't show your embarrassment and sadness, as they show how much insecure you are about your color.

 

children of that age are very innocent. My guess is she repeated verbatim what the maid told her. Probably she was resisting closing her eyes and allowing face to be soaped so maid must have said that 'if you dont allow me to wash your face will become brown like your mom's.' that must have caught your dd's attention. and the maid pleased with good reception of the statement must have repeated adding more emphasis. your dd probably confirmed with nearest other adult which was granny who must have said yes. You should tackle the maid first. tell her clearly you wont tolerate her filling the kids head with nonsense and that she should stop. this is common among these type of people -- to get the kid to do something they will make up anything and everything. one such persuaded my then very young cousin to pee because the plant needs the water. How we found out because as soon as he saw a plant he would run over and insist on peeing on it then and there much to his mother's consternation and horror.

deal with the color issue matter-of-factly.

 

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/schoolgoers-and-teens/93744-different-skin-colour.html

Do not have the time.. and i strongly believe beauty is beyond color..well perspectives differ..do check out the thread i have referred.

 

I always tell my child that different people have different coloured skin and its absolutely ok.more than skin its what we do in life matters most.Talk to her nanny first and tell her not to talk anything about skin colour.You can also talk to MIL reg that so that your child does not get the wrong impression that fair skin is superior.

 

I like what you said.. Not all fair people are beautiful and not all beautiful people are fair.