Raising Biracial Children and Multiracial Children to Feel Good About Themselves

Although in many ways biracial children and multiracial children are like any other kids, there are crucial issues that parents in mixed race families need to be aware of. These issues become more critical if the parent of color leaves the family and is no longer involved in the child's upbringing. This is particularly important if your kids resemble the parent who left. Regardless, of whether you're raising your children alone or with a partner, you must understand these issues, so you can raise them to feel good about their interracial heritage.

One of the first things you need to understand when parenting multiracial children is the insidious effects of racism. Racism leaves marks that last a lifetime. If you think that the civil rights movement of the 1960's and 1970's eradicated racism, then you need to read my article entitled, "Raising Biracial Children in a Racist World." The link appears below.

Another interesting read is the article on buying culturally appropriate gifts for mixed race kids. If you're a white relative or family friend of a mixed race family or if your child is invited to the birthday party of a biracial child, it helps to know what sort of gift to bring.

We also cover the all-important issue of caring for biracial hair. If your child has coarse, kinky, fragile hair, you need to teach her how to take care of it. Products that are formulated specifically for biracial hair will help your child feel good about herself.

In the future, we will explore many issues related to raising kids who are the products of interracial couples, mixed race families and single parent homes.

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About the author: Laura Ramirez is the author of the award-winning book, Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting which shows how she is using ideas from two different cultures to raise her biracial children. The book combines native concepts (like child stewardship) with heart-centered psychology to show parents how to raise children to develop their innate strengths and lead uniquely purposeful and fulfilling lives. The book is a journey of self-discovery for child and parent. To get your copy, click the button below:

	Web www.parenting-child-development.com

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