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Article
Expose
your Child to Heritage; Teach your Child Tolerance
By: Deanna Bufo Novak, attorney, mother, creator/author
of a personalized children's book celebrating heritage called
My Heritage Book, and founder of its publisher
kidsHeritage,
Inc.
As parents, we prepare our children for the outside world in
many ways. We sing ABCs and count 123s, teach them to be
polite, to have manners, and to treat someone as they wish to
be treated. W e encourage their physical and non-physical
abilities, and help develop their inherent talents. Although
there is no question how important all of this is, are we
missing something? In preparing them for school, sports,
activities, and friends, are we also adequately preparing them
for the cultural diversity that will surround them in all of
these aspects of their lives? Too often, the answer is no.
For generations, immigrants from countries all over the world
have flocked to America. Retaining their own cultures, while
living and working next door to families of different
cultures, is, in fact, a large part of what has made this a
great country. Children should start learning tolerance and
appreciation of this concept at an early age. "[A parent's]
guidance is important while [the children] are old enough to
think about social issues and young enough to be flexible in
their opinions" writes Dr. Tesfa G. Gebremedhin in his article
Reflecting on our Ethnic Identity and Cultural Heritag.*
A starting point for teaching your child the benefits of
cultural diversity is delving into your own heritage. Remind
your child that heritage is not a mere history lesson, but a
unique opportunity to look into the past, present, and future
all at once . However, while teaching about your family's own
heritage and encouraging your child to be proud of it, it is
equally as important to stress that each family's heritage is
unique and wonderful, even if it is different from your own.
By doing this, children gain a unique perspective of the world
that surrounds them - both at home and outside of the home. "[L]earning
about their ethnic identity and cultural heritage will not
only teach our children something about their ancestors, but
it will also teach them about themselves and how they are
related to the world around them" writes Dr. Tesfa G.
Gebremedhin.*
Begin your heritage exploration by spinning a globe and
flipping through an atlas. If possible, take your children not
only to a cultural festival celebrating your own heritage, but
to any cultural festivals in your area. They can observe,
first hand, people enjoying the music, food, and customs of a
certain culture and begin to gain an appreciation for it. If
you are cooking a traditional meal, have your children get
involved and talk with them about your ancestors making the
same meal many years ago. On another night, try a recipe from
a different culture and talk a bout that culture. Listening to
different types of music and discussing the music's origins is
also a great activity.
For a more personalized approach to teaching your child about
heritage, visit www.myheritagebook.com. There, you can order a
personalized children's book called
My Heritage Book. Each
book explores the countries (up to four in one book) of your
child's ancestors and contains a fill-in family tree. While
encouraging reading, your child will be excited about a book
that is all their own, celebrating a heritage that is equally
as unique. This book is a special keepsake for a child and
makes a wonderful gift.
By showing our children how interesting their own heritage is
and encouraging them to be proud of it, we are preparing them
to be confident individuals. Additionally, as they gain
knowledge of various cultures, they will learn tolerance of
others. If they are proud of their own heritage, they will
begin to understand that their friends are probably also proud
of theirs. If they enjoy the traditions of their heritage,
they may be encouraged to ask their friends about their own
unique traditions. In doing so, these children will be paving
the road to a more tolerant world.
*Reflecting on our Ethnic Identity and Cultural Heritage
(Apr. 14, 2005)
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