Products I Wish Were Easier to Find for My Multicultural Child

Disclaimer: I received complimentary product samples from Tru-Colour Bandages; however, all opinions are my own.  The other products mentioned below were suggested by readers and fellow bloggers.  They are included as a courtesy; mention here does not constitute an endorsement.

I recently asked on my personal Facebook page what multicultural products people had trouble finding for their kids.  The list is rather long!  But as they began to chat, they also began to do something remarkable – spontaneously they began to share tips and suggestions about what they had found – great companies they wanted to support, and products that were just the right fit for their children.

In that spirit of sharing, I have reproduced the list below, along with their suggestions.  I do not wish to take credit for their suggestions, but as they were made on a private page, I am not including their names here to protect their privacy.

What products do you wish were easier to find for your multicultural child?

Books and Education

Birthday & greeting cards showing diverse/transracial families

Try: color blind cards

Books with children/families of color

Books with mixed/transracial families

Books to introduce young children to their heritage

Diverse books, especially ones that boys would enjoy

Try: Multicultural Children’s Book Day; Multicultural Kids’ Books on Pinterest; Sprout’s Bookshelf blog; Pragmatic Mom blog

Educational tools to teach diversity & culture before grade school

I teach preschool & it’s hard to find in stores anything that actually teaches diversity & culture before grade school. I wish local bookstores, toy stores & the library would carry learning activities about other cultures & in learning other languages geared toward toddler/preschool ages.

Toys and Dolls

More diversity in toys & dolls

Dolls and toys that look like my kids and those that incorporate a mixed family scenario

Multi-lingual toys that have a wider variety of language options (not just English/Spanish which is all I can find here). Or better yet – toys that allow a parent to record simple words in their native tongue!

Puzzles & games

Try: Multicultural Kids’ Toys on Pinterest; Multicultural Kids’ Gift Guide

Individualized things like mugs and toothbrushes for unusual names

Media

Diverse music

Try: Daria’s Little Village Store; Putumayo Music

Diverse movies/TV shows, with non-whites as main characters

I wish I could find movies/TV shows with African-American boys as the main character- not even necessarily about race, just regular shows/movies that kids would like. (like Dora or Mr Peabody and Sherman, etc, but with African-American, male characters).

Try: Multicultural Media for Kids on Pinterest; Kids’ Foreign Films on Pinterest; Bino & Fino

Personal Care

Clothing

Try: Mixed Up Clothing; Isossy Children; Multicultural graphic tees

Hairdressers for children that can cope with (and teach me) how to de-tangle curly hair.

The right shampoo & conditioner for their hair

Hair products specifically for bi-racial children. I thought I had the hair thing down because I’m African-American, but no, it’s a different world.

Try: Mixed Chicks; Original Sprout

I have a mixed son and cannot find skin care products like shampoos and lotions for his dry skin. I currently use plain coconut oil but he’s not always with us so I would like something to have as a backup.

Bandaids!

A father, who faced similar frustrations with his children, is the force behind Tru-Colour Bandages, whose mission is to make bandages for all skin colors, so kids (and adults!) are no longer forced to choose between peachy beige and super heroes.

Tru-Colour Bandages are an idea whose time has come!  When I first heard of them, my reaction was one of surprise – Why wasn’t there anything on the market like this already?  Why shouldn’t kids be able to have bandages that match their skin tone?

But Tru-Colour is no novelty act.  The bandages are strong but comfortable and come in a variety of sizes.  In other words, a great bandage that just happens to come in different skin tones.

So spread the word about #diversityinhealing today but sharing the news about Tru-Colour Bandages!  What’s your success story about finding a great multicultural product for kids?  If you have suggestions of other products/resources, leave them in the comments!