Popsugar Parenting Antiracism Why Parents Need to Talk to Their Kids About Race Mom's Poignant Twitter Thread Nails Why White Parents Need to Talk to Their Kids About Race 25 April 2019 by Murphy Moroney Still processing this, but two days ago, two blonde girls at the playground told my daughter she couldn't play with them because she doesn't have blonde hair. The girls' parents did not intervene.You better believe I did.— Mathangi Subramanian (@mathangiwrites) April 18, 2019 Mathangi Subramanian, a mom and writer, recently had a negative experience at the park with her 3-year-old daughter with a serious takeaway. In a now-viral Twitter thread, Mathangi illustrated exactly why white parents should talk to their kids about race early and often, and she's absolutely correct. Her initial tweet read: "Still processing this, but two days ago, two blonde girls at the playground told my daughter she couldn't play with them because she doesn't have blonde hair," she wrote. "The girls' parents did not intervene. You better believe I did." She went on to explain how despite being irritated, she calmly addressed the two girls and then took the time to speak with her own daughter on the way home about race. In her thread, she urges: "White parents: TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT RACE. I know it's uncomfortable. But the rest of us do it all the time. We need you to do it too." Read through to see Mathangi's full thread, and be sure to take notes. Related: You Should Be Talking to Kids About Race Earlier Than You Think — Here's How You Navigate the Discussion On the walk home, my three-year-old and I had a heart-to-heart about race and exclusion. It wasn't our first time. The first time was when she was two, and she came home from preschool saying that her skin was black, and we talked about how dark skin is beautiful.— Mathangi Subramanian (@mathangiwrites) April 18, 2019 1 / 6 Here is the point: parents of color talk about race with our kids all the time. We have no choice. It's there, everywhere, and we can't avoid it.I told the blonde kids at the playground that they can't exclude people. I did it calmly and politely, while their parents watched.— Mathangi Subramanian (@mathangiwrites) April 18, 2019 2 / 6 But those parents should have intervened. They should've said something. My daughter was watching. Their daughters were watching.White parents: TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT RACE. I know it's uncomfortable. But the rest of us do it all the time. We need you to do it too.— Mathangi Subramanian (@mathangiwrites) April 18, 2019 3 / 6 Also, please don't tell me that I imagined this. I am a dark-skinned woman who has been on this planet for almost 40 years. I know racism when I see it. And I definitely know it when it happens to my kid.— Mathangi Subramanian (@mathangiwrites) April 18, 2019 4 / 6 Just want to thank everyone who has responded and retweeted. I'm still angry, but I feel a lot less alone.— Mathangi Subramanian (@mathangiwrites) April 18, 2019 5 / 6 Mathangi's Original Tweet Still processing this, but two days ago, two blonde girls at the playground told my daughter she couldn't play with them because she doesn't have blonde hair. The girls' parents did not intervene.You better believe I did.— Mathangi Subramanian (@mathangiwrites) April 18, 2019 6 / 6 AntiracismLittle KidsParenting Tips