The day the penny dropped that I had stereotyped based on race.

How could I not know I had that stereotype inside of me?  How did that happen?  I wasn’t raised that way, I didn’t think that way, consciously, that is.  Yet, the stereotype was there, hidden under everything I’d always patted myself on the back about, and when I saw it, I felt overwhelming shame.  Not just for the stereotype itself, but for not knowing it was part of who I was, and how easy it is to fool yourself.  This post is embarrassing, but I also think that growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum, there has to be an awareness to change.  So, I’m sharing with you in hopes of sparking conversations here or elsewhere. 

 

What I’ve been reading…

I’ve read a lot lately so thought it was time to share…

 

How words of advice can make you miss what is right in front of you

When an adopted child is misbehaving or acting out and the parents ask other adoptive parents why, they are often told that biological children do this too.  I understand that they mean children who are raised in their biological families misbehave or act out too.  That whatever is happening is typical as the child moves through the different cognitive stages to test out boundaries and have shifts in emotions.