Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Guest Posting From My Wife - The Innocence of a Child

Our daughter is 3 1/2. Today, she asked me about the little girls she sat next to at the pool on Sunday during her swimming class.

"Mommy," she said. "The little girls at my swimming class.....they had brown hands." It was the first time she ever differentiated that someone looked different than herself. She continued, "And, I have white hands."

I told her that people come in all colors and sizes. And, we can be friends will all different kinds of people.

Later this evening, she told my husband the same thing about seeing little girls with brown hands. And, he, too, told her that people come in all colors and sizes and that the most important thing is that we treat people kindly. And, that no matter what someone looks like, we can be friends with them.

Then, she said, "Mommy, I wonder what color their tummies are?" She told us before bed that in the morning before school, she wanted to color her new found friends a picture. Hopefully, next Sunday we will see them again during swim class and our daughter can present them with her picture.

There is nothing more precious than the innocence of a child. I'm not sure at what point the innocence is lost, but I'd like to think we can preserve our children's innocence for sometime.

8 Comments:

At March 28, 2006 at 8:15:00 AM EST, Blogger Shoshana said...

I hope when I have children, I manage to instill in them the same kind of perspective on differences. I wish that innocence didn't have to be lost at all, but I know it does.

 
At March 28, 2006 at 12:08:00 PM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for your comment. The best thing about being a parent is the ability to teach your children about everything in life. And, it is remarkable to watch as their small minds grow a little more each day.

-Wife of a Simple Jew :)

 
At March 28, 2006 at 12:28:00 PM EST, Blogger PsychoToddler said...

Kids stay that way until we parents screw them up with our own prejudices.

 
At March 28, 2006 at 12:52:00 PM EST, Blogger torontopearl said...

PT is right; we do things like that, sometimes without even realizing how impressionable the little people around us are -- how our tone, our facial expressions, our body stance can even influence children.
This innocence should be bottled and marketed for the masses.
Thank you for your insightful perception -- and your daughter's!

 
At May 21, 2006 at 3:44:00 PM EDT, Blogger Grajee said...

wow. its nice to read things from a parents perspectives sometimes. gives me a little perspective myself :-)

 
At May 21, 2006 at 6:04:00 PM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Grajee: I really appreciate your comment. Thank you :)

 
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At February 1, 2007 at 1:27:00 PM EST, Blogger Danny said...

Thank you for posting this that was so CUTE!!! I have a friend who has dark skin and she tells us stories about children who look at her and scream MOMMY MOMMY this girl looks weird and the mothers just say: shhhh don't say such a thing. and my friend says it hurts her so much because also the parents look at her and make her feel different and unaccepted.

 

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