By Dr. Jacqueline Douge: Children begin to develop an understanding of race very early. By the age of 6 months, children notice racial differences and by 2-4 years of age begin to internalize racial bias. Our children are watching, listening and learning to everything around them and from their parents. As your child’s first teacher, you play an important role in helping to teach your children about empathy, kindness, compassion and fairness towards others, to build positive racial and ethnic identities, celebrate similarities and differences and to help children to create a more just world.