MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
All four of our boys have been traveling around the world since they were just a few weeks or months old.
Read my boys’ story in my new children’s book, “The Boy Who Weaves the World.” Take your kids on a global adventure!
Timothee was three months old when he began flying across the ocean. When Robert was four weeks old, we bundled him up for his first transatlantic flight. David was just two weeks old, and Pierre was one month old. I believe they all flew overseas “in the womb” as well.
Most of these trips were not just “for fun” and “adventure.” Rather, they were work and life-related—responsibilities that begged us to hop on an airplane to get to a destination.
I realize that many of you who read these cultural stories do not travel the world to the extent that our family does. Many of your children may never have boarded an airplane or been out of your state or country. That’s ok!
Expanding Our Global Tapestry—Right at Home!
Thankfully, we don’t have to cross the ocean to grow and cultivate cultural learning in ourselves and in our children! We can expand our global tapestry right where we are—right in our own country—even in our own home.
How do we open our kids to the world without traveling?
For those who join us for our “5-Day Journey to Cultural Awareness,” you can invite your children into the experience with you. I encourage us all to include our children in eating ethnic foods, listening to cultural music from around the world, and learning foreign languages. I included mine!
Read my boys’ story in my new children’s book, “The Boy Who Weaves the World.” Take your kids on a global adventure!
I try to invite my children to “travel the world with me” whenever I can!
Seizing “Teaching Moments”
One night, Pierre and I were watching the “World of Dancing.” We both love music and dancing, so it’s one of our favorite shows. Already, the title of the show sounds “global” and “international,” doesn’t it? They have dancers from all over the world competing for this “world title.”
There was a group of dancers from India who showed a video clip of their life in their home country—practicing dance on the sandy beach, because they have no means to rent a studio.
Pierre—only six-years-old at the time—was intrigued by their story and wanted to listen to it over and over. After several replays, it was obvious that Pierre was curious and becoming “culturally aware” of people who look differently, talk differently, and live differently from us.
It was a wide open door for “cultural learning” with my child.
I grabbed my computer and asked him if he knew where India was.
“No,” he replied.
I quickly pulled up a world map online and pointed out India to him.
“Oh,” he said.
Then, I pointed to France—where he was born—and the U.S.—where we were living at the time. I explained to him that this group of dancers from India traveled all the way from their country to America.
“Wow!” he exclaimed. “That’s far!”
It was a very simple cultural awareness lesson that only took a few minutes.
Windows of Opportunity!
We have opportunities like this all the time with our children—when we hear other languages, when we see foreign peoples, when we pass by ethnic restaurants, when we hear “international news” on the media.
Thankfully, the world of public television is realizing the power of cultural curiosity in children. We need to tap into it when they are young, malleable, and open. They are like sponges . . . absorbing everything around them . . . languages and cultures.
We have a window of opportunity with our kids that we don’t want to miss!
I often sit and watch Pierre’s cartoon shows with him. There are a lot of cultural and linguistic lessons woven throughout.
One of the first to hit the scene was “Dora the Explorer” who playfully introduced children to the Spanish language and culture.
The other day, Pierre and I watched an episode of Arthur. There was a new French girl, Emily, who had just arrived in the neighborhood. She was teaching the other children some new words. “C’est super magnifique!”
Have you ever noticed that Daniel Tiger’s grandfather is called “Grandpère” (French for “Grandpa”)?
Many of the famous American cartoons like Arthur, Daniel Tiger, etc. can also be found in other languages. Just search on YouTube and voilà! You can find them in Italian, Spanish, French, etc. It’s a great way to expose kids to new languages and cultures through cartoon characters and stories they already know and love!
Training Ears and Brains
For years in France and Morocco, I taught children English—beginning at age 3. Parents were often concerned that it might be too early to expose their child to a second language—when they were barely mastering their first.
I reassured them that early exposure to foreign languages is ideal. Not only are children like sponges—learning foreign languages faster than any adult can—but it also trains their ears and brains to “hear” and “assimilate” foreign sounds.
Finally, learning foreign languages teaches our kids to be open to the world around them and to see the beauty in diversity. It molds our kids into “Cultural Learners” rather than “Cultural Critics.” Our world needs a lot more of these!
So, Daniel Tiger, Dora the Explorer, and Arthur . . . “Here we come!”
Cultural Resources
Read my boys’ story in my new children’s book, “The Boy Who Weaves the World.” Take your kids on a global adventure!
There
That’s called “Cultural Awareness”!
It was encouraging to see titles such
Here are some other Public Broadcasting Kids videos that play regularly between cartoon episodes on American television—encouraging our kids to open their eyes to the world—to grow and cultivate cultural awareness, understanding, and appreciation.
Enjoy watching these videos, “You, Me, and Community!” with kids—or without! We all have a lot to learn!
These videos represent diversity in race, religion, culture, etc. Exposing our children to diversity is important. It’s also a great learning opportunity.
“Together We’re the Key”
“Change the World”
“Come and See”
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Read my boys’ story in my new children’s book, “The Boy Who Weaves the World.” Take your kids on a global adventure!
Let’s Weave Cultures!
How did your children respond to these videos? What lessons did you learn together? What are some other ways you can help your children open their eyes to the world?
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.
