First Conversation About Skin Color

I've long heard that kids start to notice skin color between the ages of 3 and 4. Baylie has known for a long time that her hair is different from most people she knows, but today was the first time she talked about skin color. We were sitting at breakfast when out of nowhere, this conversation happened:

Baylie (sticking her arm out): I'm brown.

David: I know! I love it!

Baylie: What color are you, Daddy?

David (sticking his arm out): Kind of a peachy tan. (I think he got this definition from the book The Colors of Us.)

Baylie (looking at the palm of her hand): I'm peachy tan too!

Baylie: What color are you, Mommy?

Me (sticking my arm out): I'm brown too! (Thanks to Neutrogena spray on tan and some time at the pool.) I'm darker than Daddy, but not as dark as you.

Then I put my arm next to Jalen and said, "We're all different colors."

And that was the end of that topic.