Color Your Child's World

Relocating from New York City to Cleveland had its advantages and disadvantages. Sure, I missed being able to procure falafel within walking distance of my apartment and get dirt-cheap, but well-done manicures and massages from my favorite Korean ladies. I loved the asphalt jungle and all it had to offer. But, after having kids, greener pastures were calling. It was time to bid farewell to "The Apple" and hello to "The Dawg Pound." No matter. I didn't mind. I was ready.

Fast forward five years later. I adore how family-friendly Cleveland is. There's so much to see and do. Museums. Sporting events. Gardens. Theater. If I crave some culture, I just drive downtown or to the Heights ... wait a minute. Drive? I have to drive to get a dose of something different? Let's take a time out here.

At this juncture, I must share that I'm Indian and my husband is of various European descent. That makes our children Indian-European mutts and possibly the most diverse item in our 'hood. I never gave it any thought until my son, Madan, brought home a preschool project (not, crapft), a book entitled, "All about me." I paged through, amused at his quirky take on life. Then, I got to the end. Pasted on the last page were magazine cut-outs of people representing us. Dad was a blond guy in a suit. Sister Kaila was a cute brunette in jeans. Madan was a Caucasian boy in a baseball cap. And, I was an African-American mother cooking dinner. His perspective was interesting, but hardly right. The gene pool didn't commingle in our family. It split down the middle. Madan and I are brown. Mike and Kaila are white.

I had talked to my children about being Indian. It must not have registered. Even more interesting was that Madan didn't know he was a few shades darker than his preschool counterparts. I had failed to open his eyes to people of other backgrounds and his own unique heritage. I foolishly relied on Dora, Diego and Kai Lan to color his world. It wasn’t working. Time to burst out of the bubble and experience ethnicity.

I was telling a friend how I'd love to have a "Passport Day" at the kids' preschool. They'd learn about the culture and customs of different lands. My friend (thanks, Amy!) turned me on to a great camp Kenston Community Ed is offering this summer. For all you local peeps, it's called Preschool Passport Adventures, to be exact. I signed up. First stop, Mexico. Bienvenido culture!

There are also many sites outlining how to teach children cultural traditions, different ways of life and customs. I'm thinking of starting from the origami and working my way up to some of the other suggestions:

1. Passport, please. Start your child’s worldwide adventure with the right documentation. Craft passport books by placing white paper within construction paper, folding it in half and stapling it together. Select a different country to “visit” each month by checking a book out of the library and reading it. Also, for each country, give the child a hat or other prop (ex: France, beret). Snap a photo of the child with the hat or prop. Glue the picture into the passport. Make sure you show your kids where they visited on a world map, too. They’ll love to see how far they’ve “traveled.”

2. Host a holiday. Pick a holiday and celebrate it at home. For example, Japan celebrates Hinamatursi Day -- “The day of the dolls” -- to commemorate ancestors. Explain what the day is to your children. Round up their dolls and stuffed animals. Have your children explain why their doll is special to them and how each doll is different. Next, have a tea party, Japanese style, with everyone seated on the floor. Read a short book about life in Japan so that children better understand the culture.

3. Make a multicultural “hello” book. Kids will love learning phrases in different languages. And, here’s a great way to let them practice their language skills. Make a book from construction paper. Punch holes down the side and tie with ribbon. Then, let your kids cut out pictures from magazines (old National Geographics are great) and glue them to the top half of each page. Let them dictate their thoughts about the pictures to you. Write their responses down on that particular page. Teach your kids how to say “hello” in each language and place that under the pictures as well. Now they’ll always know how to greet new friends!

4. Test their chopsticks prowess. Explain to your kids that not everyone eats with forks and spoons. Introduce chopsticks and tell children they are used for eating. Let the children help put the cotton balls (pretend food) on their paper plates and ask them how they could use the chopsticks to pick up the pretend food. Let your kids experiment with ways to pick up the cotton balls. Then demonstrate how they might pick up the pretend food. Give children lots of time to try before reading the book: How My Parents Learned to Eat (Japanese - American) by Ina R. Friedman.

5. Orient them to Origami. Teach kids the art of Japanese paper folding. Not only will they love making animals (and other art) from paper, it’s a skill you’ll value when waiting for your food at restaurants. Any paper napkin can be fashioned into a fun work of art for kids to enjoy!

6. “Book” a trip. Last, but not least, don’t forget the local library. Libraries are rich in libros celebrating differences. Scour the shelves for Korea’s Cinderella story. Your child will be intrigued with another country’s take on a well-known story.

Once Madan begins grade school, more opportunities for culture immersion will arise. But, it's never too early to start coloring up his world.

Photo credit: Super cute passport created by Jan and Anne for our neighborhood progressive dinner.

Sources:
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSLAOCICountriesandCulturesIdeas18.htm
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/multicultural.htm