Roots of Understanding: Exploring Race in childhood development

Understanding how children perceive and process race at each stage of their development is crucial for fostering a positive self image and inclusive environment. From the curious observations of infants to the evolving social awareness of preteens, this article breaks down the various milestones and nuances that shape their understanding of race. Join us as we explore race in childhood development and offer insights to support parents and caregivers in nurturing children’s healthy attitudes towards diversity.

3 Months to 1 Year

Many studies show that babies can tell the difference between faces of different races or colors as early as 3 months old. In the early months, babies are often only exposed to people from one racial group, which is usually their own, resulting in a preference toward the race they see most often. By the time they’re 6 months old, babies start using skin color to sort and categorize, like how they might categorize shapes and colors.

This is tested using a method called looking-time – this method analyzes how long a child spends looking at the face of a particular race. As a race becomes more familiar, babies tend to spend less time observing them. Conversely, when presented with the face of an unfamiliar race, their looking time increases.

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Tip: Encourage Diversity Daily

Parents teach through actions. Expose kids to diversity and ensure their

interaction socially with people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

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2 to 3 Years

Between the ages of 2 to 3 years, children continue to develop self-awareness and express curiosity about physical characteristics, including disabilities, skin color, hair color, and texture. They may also start recognizing ethnic identity. Children begin using racial categories to understand people’s behaviors and may even display signs of in-group bias, such as choosing a doll that resembles them during a visit to a toy store. Some children might show discomfort around unfamiliar people, including those with different skin colors.

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Tip: Embrace Diversity with Pride!

Emphasize the incredible talents of our diverse community rather than focusing solely on appearances. When discussing skin color or colorism, respond positively, saying, “Yes, they have beautiful brown skin—not the same as yours, but equally wonderful.”

Feel free to bring up physical differences during playtime, pointing out various attributes: “This doll has a hat; that one doesn’t. This one has dark skin; this one has light skin.”

– Dr. Harriett Romo,
Director of the Child and Adolescent Policy Research Institute at the University of Texas

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4 to 5 Years

At the age of 4, children, irrespective of their own race, begin to display a Pro-White bias and concurrently recognize race as a socially significant category. This inclination is heavily influenced by a child’s environment. In societies marked by inequality, where predominantly White individuals occupy positions of power and privilege, such as doctors, lawyers, teachers, government officials, entrepreneurs, and other esteemed roles, children often internalize these systemic disparities, fostering a belief that White individuals are superior and deserve more than people of color.

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 Tip: Cultivate Inclusive Narratives

Counter messages that exclusively portray White individuals as holding power and privilege. It’s essential for Black children to see valuable contributions of Black people

throughout history and today in esteemed positions, like doctors, lawyers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and government officials.

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6 to 8 Years

Racial attitudes generally improve as children enter school and become more open to the idea of both our differences and similarities. As kids grow older, exposure to news about racial injustices and stereotypes may influence their feelings about self and group identity, potentially showing signs of internalized superiority (IS) or internalized oppression (IO).

 

The school curriculum often broadens to focus on the larger community, including maps and diverse cultures worldwide. Children learn to identify stereotypes, develop critical thinking skills, and participate in “social justice” activities addressing issues directly relevant to their classroom, school, and neighborhood.

 

9 to 11 Years

During the encounter phase, children become aware of the societal standing of racial groups and actively establish their group identities. Often, they seek or create groups that adhere to cultural norms, reinforcing their sense of identity. Notably, Black children or children of color in this phase learn to consciously codeswitch between home/community and school cultures, navigating the awareness of racism against their own group.

Children may also start displaying signs of influence from prevailing cultural myths about class, such as associating poverty with personal choices or faults and equating wealth with superior abilities. However, they concurrently demonstrate a growing capacity for empathy towards others and their situations.

In elementary school, the social studies curriculum shifts focus to U.S. history, government, significant events, and historical figures. During this period, children often exhibit a keen interest in learning about the history of their own people and communities.

Ages 12+

By the age of 12 many children become set in their beliefs – giving parents a decade to mold the learning process, so it decreases racial bias and improves cultural understanding.