So what can parents do?
There are three main things that parents can do in helping to challenge any negative attitudes their children may have towards other ethnic groups and also encouraging them to be more open to and inclusive of others. Firstly, it is important for parents to learn more about other ethnic communities themselves in terms of their differing histories, traditions and cultures. The more parents know, the more they will be able to answer any questions their children might have and the more they will also be able to recognize and correct any mistaken beliefs or prejudices the children may express about those communities.

Secondly, it is important for parents to make sure their children have the opportunity to learn about other ethnic communities and gain positive experiences of different cultures and traditions. This can include reviewing the books that their children have at home and asking whether they make reference to and include people from other ethnic groups. It can also include trying different types of food and taking part in celebrations and other local events hosted by particular ethnic communities. There are always opportunities available for parents to help their children learn about and experience other people’s cultures and traditions.

Thirdly and finally, there is a need for parents to challenge any negative attitudes or prejudices their children may have towards others. In doing this, however, it is important not to simply ‘tell off’ children and warn them not to say such things again. This rarely works, with children tending simply to keep their existing attitudes intact but learning not to express them in front of their parents.

What parents need to do instead is to use occasions where their children may say something negative as a learning experience. To do this parents need to create an atmosphere that is open and relaxed and one where children feel free to talk about whatever concerns them. If they do make a negative remark they can then be encouraged to think about the implications of what they have said and how it makes others feel. Research has shown that it is possible to have meaningful conversations even with very young children and, through these, to challenge in a constructive way any negative attitudes they may have.