What about the Children?
Nicole Doyley
(Author)
Description
Multiracial identity brings both gifts and challenges-for kids and their parents.
Beyond questions about skin tone and other physical characteristics, children may wonder where they fit in the world and why people treat them differently. Parents may find themselves ill-equipped for situations they never faced in their own childhoods. What about the Children? deftly provides families formed by interracial marriage or transracial adoption with the guidance and tools they need to help their children embrace, celebrate, and confidently navigate all parts of their heritage.
Author Nicole Doyley shares the challenges of growing up biracial without much guidance for navigating her Black and white worlds as well as the intentionality with which she and her Jamaican husband raise their children. Drawing on a wealth of personal anecdotes, expert insights, and practical advice, she illuminates five core values to help multiracial families thrive. From raising one's own awareness of cultural differences to humbly seeking a diverse community of support to honestly preparing children for specific aspects of racism, What about the Children? covers both the basics and nuances of raising children with a sense of pride in their heritage and a strong, resilient sense of self.
Each chapter includes examples featuring families of various multiracial makeups, questions for readers to reflect on, and suggestions of age-appropriate action steps.
Published in collaboration with Around the Table, an initiative of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Product Details
| Publisher | Westminster John Knox Press |
| Publish Date | February 18, 2025 |
| Pages | 175 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9780664268992 |
| Dimensions | 8.5 X 5.5 X 0.4 inches | 0.5 pounds |
About the Author
Reviews
"Biracial children have one foot in both cultures while simultaneously feeling as though they belong to neither. As a parent of biracial children, celebrating an interracial marriage, I wish I'd had this book years ago. Nicole Doyley has gifted us with practical wisdom born of experience that goes beyond the well-meaning but often-harmful platitudes we hear in church. Her insights meet the complexities of identity, belonging, and love with honesty and depth, offering tools to navigate these challenges with grace and understanding. This is an important read." --Robert Callahan, author of Fire in the Whole
"What about the Children? is an honest and accessible tool for those navigating multiracial parenting in a wide variety of contexts. In a clear and soulful style, Doyley offers real stories that illuminate and challenge, opportunities for honest reflection, and practical actions across ages and experiences. Families need more resources like this!" --Kathy Escobar, author of Practicing, A Weary World, and Turning Over Tables
"Drawing from her personal experiences and the history of race in America, Doyley offers valuable wisdom, encourages self-reflection, and provides practical steps for applying these principles in your home. A must-read for any parent raising biracial children, What about the Children? is a beautiful guide to creating a nurturing environment where children can fully embrace their identity and develop a deep sense of belonging." --Kelly Hamilton, trauma-informed parenting coach, TheConnectedLife.co
"Doyley fills this book with the kind of wise counsel I wish my own mother had when raising me as a biracial kid amid a very white world. What about the Children? offers insightful suggestions about the complexities of navigating more than one racial or cultural identity while still celebrating the grace-filled gift such diversity bestows on the whole human family." --Adam J. Shoemaker, rector, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Charleston, South Carolina
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