Boxes are for Hiding Things, Not Living In
Megan at twitter moms and Global Wonders asked the question How do you inspire your children to learn more not only about their own culture, but the customs, languages and lifestyles of others?
For us, it’s a simple as exposure and answering their questions. Children are naturally curious and we all know they LOVE to ask questions. For example, something as simple as a Blue’s Clues video on Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan and Kwanzaa led to this question while grocery shopping;
“Mommy, can we celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa?”
It took me a second to figure out where she was coming from, then I remembered the video. I couldn’t think of a reason why not. I can sit down with her and explain that the Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah to celebrate the miracle of light and military victory, or we can light candles for 8 nights and I can teach her about it. For the record, we haven’t done this yet, but it’s my plan this year.
My mom got her Spanish degree while I was in High School. After that she got her Law degree. Now she works in a small town with a high Hispanic population. She’s working on a project right now to help bring the community together. When we go to her office and the clients are speaking with the secretaries, and it’s all in Spanish, Aidan’s eyes will light up. She’s very curious about the Spanish language, I think my mom has really instilled that in her.
A good book can take you places! My best friend went to Amsterdam last year. She brought the kids a book that showed them a map and explained that Amsterdam was mostly built on water. The book has drawings of houseboats with gardens on their decks, and other sites you would see around the city.
Another fun way to teach about other cultures is to talk about our ancestors. Like, everyone from my side of the family came from Europe or was Native American. Ben’s family is French Canadian, German, Dutch and Irish.
I think the biggest thing is YOU have to learn and make friends with people who are not like you. You can’t spend your life in a box, or your kids will too.
What are your ideas?
