MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
Recently, my husband and I traveled to Manchester, England with our 10-year-old son, Pierre.
We were visiting some friends, but we also wanted to experience the culture, the food, and the land.
We did what we could during our 72-hour whirlwind tour—visit Manchester United soccer stadium (That was first on Pierre’s to-do list!), eat fish-n-chips in an English pub (That was first on my list!), admire the architecture of the ancient British churches, go souvenir shopping . . .
But, that’s not all we did. We exposed Pierre to as much ethnic diversity as we could. The whole world lives on “The Curry Mile,” with restaurants and stores from ALL over the world on a one-mile strip. We went grocery shopping at “World Foods” and ate lunch in a local Palestinian restaurant. That was a first for all of us!
We also went to the Whitworth Art Gallery of The University of Manchester. It was free, so we wandered in to see Althea McNish’s textile exhibit, “Colour is Mine.” It was breathtakingly beautiful! We learned that McNish is from the Caribbean and is considered the textile designer who transformed British design. It was a cultural and artistic learning experience all wrapped up in an amazing experience.
No, Pierre was not thrilled about going to an art gallery. He was dragging his feet through the door. But, I’m glad that I pushed him inside, because it opened his eyes to the world in a new way.
Our kids don’t understand and know what cultural awareness is. We have to grab them by the hand and take them on the journey with us. The more we do it while they’re young, the more they will want to continue doing it throughout their lives. Opening our eyes to the world becomes contagious!
Raising cultural awareness, appreciation, and understanding starts at an early age. Our kids may dig their heels in the ground today, but they will be thanking us tomorrow!
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Let’s Weave Cultures!
If you have kids or if you work with kids, how do you teach them about culture? What new and creative ways could you incorporate cultural awareness into your parenting or teaching?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
