3 Items Adoptive and Transracial Families Should Donate to Their Child's School

We've been talking a lot on social media about diversity and inclusion in our kid's classrooms. Today, I'm sharing with you three items you, as a transracial and adoptive family, can donate to your child's school to promote diversity and inclusion.

Now, I'm not saying that these things have healing, magical powers to eradicate racism and adoption-ism issues. NO WAY. Not even close.

What I am saying is that donations are important to schools, and who better to donate items that promote diversity and inclusion than the families who are most affected by these?

You can click on the images to learn more about the suggested products.

1: Skin tone art supplies.

Gone are the days of the two options: peach or brown. (Thankfully!) Crayola makes "multicultural" markers, crayons, and colored pencils. There's also skin tone paper--great for portrait projects--and these skin tone face silhouettes.



2: Skin tone bandages.

Tru-Colour Bandages are our absolute favorite! Created by a dad-by-transracial adoption, these bandages offer three different skin-tones to match the melanin of children of color. (Psssttt--they are also cruelty-free!) We purchased one of each shade, then divided the bandages up into baggies for the kids to give to their teachers and school nurses.



3: Books.

I mean, can you ever have too many books?  Donate to your child's classroom library, the school library, the office (our school office has books for the kids to read while they wait to receive awards or need to speak with the staff). 

Also, volunteer to be a reader in your child's classroom!  (Our school has parents sign up to be mystery readers---which the kids LOVE!) 

Here are some lists, organized by category, to help you choose:

• Black excellence books
• the best family-diversity children's picture books
• Black-affirming children's picture books
• board books for Black boys and girls
• racially diverse Christmas books (some are faith-based, so preview!)
• Black boy skin and hair books
• Black children hair books
• 25 best picture books for young Black boys
• must-own children's picture books on adoption (not all will be appropriate for the school)
• children's picture books on belonging and difference
• 20 books starring Black girls

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Last night, my daughter asked me to read her our book. Of course I said yes. 📖 There’s a poem in it that’s all about her-so she picked that one first. 🏀“My Santa” is my personal fave-so we read that one, too. 🎅🏾 Our book is #poemsforthesmartspunkyandsensationalblackgirl - and we created it together. 💓 20 poems, all inspired by my daughters. Their experiences, emotions, and dreams. 👩🏾‍🦱👩🏿‍🦱 Paired with gorgeous, bold, detailed, diverse illustrations by @coilyandcute 🎨 Available wherever books are sold. 📚 Do you have a copy yet? 👇🏼👇🏽👇🏾 . . . #childrensbook #poetry #representationmatters #melanin #multiracialfamily #whitesugarbrownsugar #daughter #mommyandme #bedtime #nightnight #goodnight

A post shared by Rachel Garlinghouse (@whitesugarbrownsugar) on Aug 31, 2019 at 7:48pm PDT

What do you think your child's classroom needs? Ask the teacher how you can support him/her in inclusion and diversity! 

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One of the last days of summer-relishing in lazy mornings. And look what arrived! All my kids need markers for school-sowe bought the classic colors as well as the @crayola multicultural markers. Because #representationmatters and there are different shades of peach and brown! 👋🏼👋🏽👋🏾👋🏿 All tones are beautiful and wonderful, and we are thankful that our kids don’t have to all use one color (generic brown) for their art. Their shade is celebrated! 💓 Are you ready for the first day of school? 👇🏼👇🏽👇🏾 . . . #multiracialfamily #melaninpoppin #bigfamilylife #blackboyjoy #blackgirljoy #backtoschool #mondaymotivation #monday #mondaymood #whitesugarbrownsugar #melanin

A post shared by Rachel Garlinghouse (@whitesugarbrownsugar) on Aug 12, 2019 at 5:29am PDT

The Ultimate List of Diverse Children's Christmas Books

It's taken us a decade, but we've successfully built a fantastic, racially diverse Christmas book collection for our children.  And it's growing quickly with more and more racially diverse books coming out every year.  

I often share how important it is to racially affirm our kids.  One way to do this--in addition to mentorship, properly caring for our children's skin and hair, surrounding our kids with art, music, and toys that show our kids that they matter, and much more--is to fill our home with books that demonstrate to our kids that their hair, their skin, their eyes, their history:  these are beautiful, wonderful, magical things that should be celebrated!

Here are our favorite diverse Christmas books.  If you click on the book image, you'll be taken to a book description, reviews, and purchasing information.  (Note:  not ALL the book covers featuring kids of color; but I promise there are children of color featured on the interior pages.  You can use the "look inside" feature on Amazon to explore pages of some of the books listed.)  Also, you can buy many of these books gently used (as several of these are out of print). 

Happy shopping!  Happy Christmas!