Parenting Mixed Children: How to Start the Conversation about Identity

Abstract

This paper explores the parenting practices of mixed union couples in Canada in an attempt to understand how these practices influence identity development in biracial children. Current theories around this topic suggest that the type of parental communication a biracial child receives influences their decision to associate with both racial identities, one racial identity, or neither. I will discuss common sources of tension that these couples face in their negotiation of racial and cultural differences. I suggest that when interracial couples disagree on how to parent their children about their mixed identities, children struggle to develop a strong understanding of who they are.