The New Modern Family

America has always been referred to as a melting pot for cultures and ethnicity's from all over the world, and the number of mixed-race families with young children is steadily increasing due to not only a rise in interracial marriages and relationships, but trans-racial and international adoptions. In fact, multiracial children are one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S population! These children come from a unique cultural background all their own, and many may have started to have conversations about race and culture within their homes. As educators, it is our job to help that conversation continue during their early childhood education. According to the Early Childhood Education Journal, to meet the unique needs of these children and their families, early childhood educators need to engage in staff training, provide classroom materials, work closely with parents, and challenge the single race approach to multicultural education.

That’s why Constructive Playthings is always looking to support the healthy multiracial and multi-ethnic identity development of children by providing resources for teachers to have an inclusive learning environment. We want to be able to provide a positive and relate-able image of themselves starting at an early age. One way we do this is by developing learning toys that represent them and their families.

Children with a multi-racial background tend to be high achievers with a strong sense of self and tolerance of diversity. These traits start to develop during their early childhood education and carry on throughout the different stages in life. By starting to help develop acceptance and strong identity early on, we can help set this generation up for success!