It might seem difficult at first, but there are many different places you can turn to for some extra help when it comes to raising a multicultural child; one who is proud of their dual identity, heritage, and who will continue to grow up in a welcoming environment that exposes them to different cultures.
Are you struggling to teach your children more about the parts of their culture they might not be in contact with on an everyday basis?
Here are four ways you can encourage them to celebrate and embrace these different facets that make them unique:
- Teach them to love the language
Depending on where you live, your child might not have the opportunity to speak both languages as frequently with the people around them.
One solution is to try to encourage them to transition between languages at home when they’re speaking to you, their siblings, or someone else. Whether that means spending an hour a day speaking solely in one language or signing them up for language classes, immersing your child in the language is a great way to help them feel pride in being raised bilingual and multicultural.
- Talk about your own experiences
As parents or guardians, your children look up to you as role models. That’s why speaking to them firsthand about your own experiences and using real life examples of your past is a great way to start building the foundation for your child to be more accepting of their multicultural identity.
Sharing your own stories about how you learned to “combine cultures” and embrace them equally will show young children that it is possible to feel pride in the two separate halves that make them whole.
- Expose them to media that celebrates their heritage
From books to music, TV shows, and film, there are plenty of fun and educational ways to teach your children about their multicultural roots and cultural heritage.
By consuming these different types of media and entertainment, young children will have the opportunity to see and connect with fictional characters and real life artists that might look and talk like them. This, in turn, will help instill a deeper sense of identity and pride through representation.
- Get more involved with the community
Encouraging your children to venture out of their usual social circle and connect with community members who might have different stories is a great way to raise them to become more conscious adults.
Participating in local events – festivals, parties, charities, etc – and inviting them to actively engage with other members of the community, children can become more aware of the fact that there are other people like them who are living and embracing their multicultural identities.
What are your favorite ways to teach your children to strengthen their bond with their multicultural identity? Let me know in the comments! 👧