Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
As parents, many of us want to raise kind, empathetic kids, but we don’t always feel equipped to talk about race, bias, and identity in everyday life. In this conversation, I sit down with culturally responsive therapist Dr. Anjali Ferguson to unpack how early children begin noticing differences and how those small, ordinary moments shape their understanding of the world. We talk about the discomfort adults feel, the fear of saying the wrong thing, and why silence often teaches more than we realize. This episode is not about blame. It’s about giving families tools to move forward with intention.
Dr. Ferguson brings both professional expertise and deeply personal experience as a South Asian woman raising biracial children. Together we explore how culture, trauma, and identity intersect in parenting, and why these conversations are not optional extras, but foundational to raising emotionally healthy kids. Her book, An Ordinary Day, illustrates how subtle bias shows up in everyday childhood experiences, and how families can use those moments to build empathy instead of fear. My hope is that this episode helps parents feel less frozen and more empowered to start small, stay curious, and keep showing up.
What we discussed:
• Why kids notice race and differences earlier than most adults expect
• How racial bias forms in early childhood
• The gap in culturally responsive parenting resources
• Growing up between cultures and identity formation
• Raising biracial children and protecting cultural identity
• Everyday microaggressions and their long-term impact
• How racism creates chronic stress in the body
• Generational trauma and epigenetic effects
• The role of racial socialization in protecting children
• Why avoiding conversations about race harms kids
• How parents can respond when bias shows up in real time
• Teaching empathy through ordinary daily moments
• Building diverse environments through books, toys, and media
• Supporting kids when they experience exclusion or bias
• Why parents don’t have to be perfect to start
• Practical ways families can talk about race at any age
To connect with Dr. Anjali Ferguson follow her on Instagram @dranjaliferguson, check out all her resources at draferguson.com and buy her book “An Ordinary Day”: go.shopmy.us/p-65453082 (paid link)
Additional Resources:
parentingculture.org
00:00 Introduction – Why Race Conversations Start Early
00:58 Welcome + Why This Conversation Matters
01:34 Meet Dr. Anjali Ferguson
03:07 The Gap in Culturally Responsive Parenting
06:43 Identity, Interracial Marriage, and Raising Biracial Kids
12:59 When Microaggressions Show Up in Toddlerhood
19:12 Do Kids Really Notice Race That Young?
24:15 Inside the Book An Ordinary Day
28:15 The “Running Into Class” Example Explained
30:36 Racism, Chronic Stress, and Health Outcomes
34:24 The Talk, Racial Socialization, and Building Identity
37:54 What To Say When You Freeze
42:30 Why This Is Every Parent’s Responsibility
46:58 You’re Going to Mess Up – And That’s Okay
48:50 Where to Find Dr. Anjali + Final Takeaways
Check out all of the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidance, tips, and support during parenthood. Visit pedsdoctalk.com/courses
Sign up for the PedsDocTalk newsletter to stay updated on the latest news on all things child health and parenting! Here is the link: pedsdoctalk.com/newsletter
SUBSCRIBE to PedsDocTalkTV to stay up to date! youtube.com/@pedsdoctalk
Listen to The PedsDocTalk Podcast available on all Podcast apps.
Many more resources at pedsdoctalk.com
Shop Dr. Mona's favorite products: shopmy.us/shop/pedsdoctalk?tab=collections (paid link)
FOLLOW ME:
Instagram: instagram.com/pedsdoctalk
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@pedsdoctalk
Facebook: facebook.com/pedsdoctalk
Keywords: doctor, pediatrician, talking to kids about race, teaching empathy to children, raising culturally aware kids, how children learn bias, parenting and racial identity, kids and implicit bias, culturally responsive parenting, teaching kids about diversity
As parents, many of us want to raise kind, empathetic kids, but we don’t always feel equipped to talk about race, bias, and identity in everyday life. In this conversation, I sit down with culturally responsive therapist Dr. Anjali Ferguson to unpack how early children begin noticing differences and how those small, ordinary moments shape their understanding of the world. We talk about the discomfort adults feel, the fear of saying the wrong thing, and why silence often teaches more than we realize. This episode is not about blame. It’s about giving families tools to move forward with intention.
Dr. Ferguson brings both professional expertise and deeply personal experience as a South Asian woman raising biracial children. Together we explore how culture, trauma, and identity intersect in parenting, and why these conversations are not optional extras, but foundational to raising emotionally healthy kids. Her book, An Ordinary Day, illustrates how subtle bias shows up in everyday childhood experiences, and how families can use those moments to build empathy instead of fear. My hope is that this episode helps parents feel less frozen and more empowered to start small, stay curious, and keep showing up.
What we discussed:
• Why kids notice race and differences earlier than most adults expect
• How racial bias forms in early childhood
• The gap in culturally responsive parenting resources
• Growing up between cultures and identity formation
• Raising biracial children and protecting cultural identity
• Everyday microaggressions and their long-term impact
• How racism creates chronic stress in the body
• Generational trauma and epigenetic effects
• The role of racial socialization in protecting children
• Why avoiding conversations about race harms kids
• How parents can respond when bias shows up in real time
• Teaching empathy through ordinary daily moments
• Building diverse environments through books, toys, and media
• Supporting kids when they experience exclusion or bias
• Why parents don’t have to be perfect to start
• Practical ways families can talk about race at any age
To connect with Dr. Anjali Ferguson follow her on Instagram @dranjaliferguson, check out all her resources at draferguson.com and buy her book “An Ordinary Day”: go.shopmy.us/p-65453082 (paid link)
Additional Resources:
parentingculture.org
00:00 Introduction – Why Race Conversations Start Early
00:58 Welcome + Why This Conversation Matters
01:34 Meet Dr. Anjali Ferguson
03:07 The Gap in Culturally Responsive Parenting
06:43 Identity, Interracial Marriage, and Raising Biracial Kids
12:59 When Microaggressions Show Up in Toddlerhood
19:12 Do Kids Really Notice Race That Young?
24:15 Inside the Book An Ordinary Day
28:15 The “Running Into Class” Example Explained
30:36 Racism, Chronic Stress, and Health Outcomes
34:24 The Talk, Racial Socialization, and Building Identity
37:54 What To Say When You Freeze
42:30 Why This Is Every Parent’s Responsibility
46:58 You’re Going to Mess Up – And That’s Okay
48:50 Where to Find Dr. Anjali + Final Takeaways
Check out all of the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidance, tips, and support during parenthood. Visit pedsdoctalk.com/courses
Sign up for the PedsDocTalk newsletter to stay updated on the latest news on all things child health and parenting! Here is the link: pedsdoctalk.com/newsletter
SUBSCRIBE to PedsDocTalkTV to stay up to date! youtube.com/@pedsdoctalk
Listen to The PedsDocTalk Podcast available on all Podcast apps.
Many more resources at pedsdoctalk.com
Shop Dr. Mona's favorite products: shopmy.us/shop/pedsdoctalk?tab=collections (paid link)
FOLLOW ME:
Instagram: instagram.com/pedsdoctalk
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@pedsdoctalk
Facebook: facebook.com/pedsdoctalk
Keywords: doctor, pediatrician, talking to kids about race, teaching empathy to children, raising culturally aware kids, how children learn bias, parenting and racial identity, kids and implicit bias, culturally responsive parenting, teaching kids about diversity
