How do you raise a more culturally aware child?

It is true that the world is shrinking, but that doesn’t mean we’ve all caught up with the pace that our global world is moving in. Our daily lives preceded that of what is happening across the pond and in the far reaching corners of the world we have often yet to hear of. However becoming culturally and globally aware is still a vital component of our lives and has a profound impact on how we raise our children. Therefore in a busy, but albeit shrinking, world how do you make sure you are instilling the right values in your child and ensuring that they have a truly global education?

While the internet has surely made being a “global citizen” much easier, there is more to it than just reading international news or researching cultures online. One needs to also actively engage our in our shrinking world off-line as well, and that includes our children who are eager to surf the worldwide web a lighting speed, but often do not get to see the full picture of what it truly means to go global. Now while an overseas vacation is a sure fire way to immerse yourself and your children in another culture, we cannot all afford to do so and there are other ways you can have a profound impact on their global education. There are a number of things that you can do right here at home that will both encourage their curiosity of the world beyond their backyard and increase their understanding of the world.

What do you do first?

• Children learn by example, be global and learn with your children.
  Host an exchange student – this could be a onetime affair, or it could become a yearly tradition. The whole family can gain a broader world view and forge lifelong bonds.
• Encourage your children do look into international exchange – many schools have short exchange trips as well as year or semester long programs. There are also a number of independent institutions and service learning organizations that have summer programs.
• Look at doing a family vacation to another country. Regardless of your destination your children and your whole family will have the learning experience of a lifetime. Why not even look to do a service holiday and help a community in need, this can also be right here at home…why not volunteer at a Native American Reservation.
• Explore other cultures right in your own backyard.
  In America’s melting pot, there are almost endless options for getting a taste of other cultures. Take a trip to a museum where you can find out about other countries and cultures. Art museums are often a great way to learn about cultures from around the globe, through artworks and crafts that have specific uses and meanings.
• Make one night a week or month a cultural night and go out for a meal at an ethnic restaurant, many have music and dancing and can allow you a journey afar without venturing out of your own city. So why not try that Moroccan place with the belly dancers or the new Ethiopian place on the nights they have music.
• Hold ethnic dinners at home and get the whole family involved in making a new recipe from another culture you’ve never tried before. Whether it’s Japanese sushi night, some Spanish paella or Hungarian goulash the whole family will have a great time. And why not add to the night by showing the children where the country is on the globe and looking up some interesting facts online and why night find some music to download for your dinnertime pleasure, or even follow up with a foreign film or documentary.
• Take on learning another language as a family which you can do through a community education course, local cultural organization, or online.
• Take family trips to local and regional cultural heritage festivals. Cities across the country have various festivals big and small, so why not go for a Sunday drive and learn to Polka, or listen to Irish music, eat too much at the Italian fest, or watch the ancient sports of Scottish Kings at the Highlands festival.

Global citizenship begins at home, so show your children the world and gain a broader global perspective. Whether you travel across the great big sea for summer holidays or travel across town to the new Thai place, you children will begin to see a world of possibilities. The future of peace and begins with our children.