How to raise global children?

[PeacefulChaos]

Edited 3/14/14 - thanks all! If everyone is cool with it, I'll be compiling these ideas to include in a blog post sometime in the near(ish) future. :).

 

 

Globally aware children, who have a good grasp on just how culturally diverse the world is.

Not in a sensationalist, voyeuristic way - I don't want to put any sort of 'look how good we have it in the US' stamp on it or overplay the hardships elsewhere.

Just realistically.

How would you/ do you do it?

 

I seriously want as many thoughts, ideas, etc as possible. It's sort of a research topic for me that I'm really wanting to explore as thoroughly as possible.

TIA!!

[SKL]

We have some wonderful books that get into the cultural fabric of different countries.  We also try to go on at least one international trip per year (a cruise counts!  :P).  Carmen Sandiego videos :P and some kid history videos.  Great movies set in other times and places, watched on DVD at home so you can discuss them.  Go to local celebrations / festivals for various cultures.  Go to authentic ethnic restaurants.  Check out the art museum and talk about how cultures are reflected in the exhibits.  Spend time with friends from different countries.

 

My kids' daycare used to teach about a different country every week or month.  I don't know how much they retained, but I thought that was pretty cool.

[trulycrabby]

Get involved in the various international communities in your area, attend their festivals and cultural outreach programs. Watch documentaries about the daily lives of people from all over the world. Eat at as many different international restaurants as possible. If you can do so, travel.

[Rosie_0801]

This book used to be recommended on here: http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Global-Raising-Children/dp/0345506545/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393536272&sr=8-2&keywords=raising+global+children

 

Do religious studies. 

[aggieamy]

I HIGHLY recommend the Families of the World DVD's.  

 

They have a lot of options and are available at our library.  DH and I enjoyed them as much as DD did when she was 5 or 6.  Everyone we've recommended them to has enjoyed them.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Families%20of%20the%20World

 

 

[regentrude]

teach at least one foreign language to fluency, beginning in middle school

travel to other countries

read a news magazine with extensive international coverage (I recommend The Economist)

read news directly from international sources

host or mentor foreign exchange students

volunteer with international student or immigrant organizations

make friends with foreigners

 

[Chris in VA]

There was a poster here who, on her blog, talked about how much their family valued raising globally aware children, to the point where she made global foods a natural part of their diet. She wanted them to be able to live anywhere (I think part of it was missionary-influenced) comfortably as adults, or at least not be intimidated by the idea.  I'm sorry, I don't know who it was. I thought that was a neat idea.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Make Current Events a subject in your homeschool! It has revolutionized the way we look at Geography; it's not just a school subject anymore! 

 

This school year, I have purposefully incorporated international current events into our day (it is yet another subject we use for writing across the curriculum, and so far the most natural). After having a great deal of success and enjoyment with a fun, informal geography study, I decided to merge the two subjects to make 2014 an around-the-world calendar year. Basically, we track news, holidays, and events around the world, learning about different countries' customs, religions, food, celebrations/holidays, seasons, conflicts, etc. We have one of those 4x6 blank world outline maps from Rainbow Resource, and we annotate and date locations as they come up. I can't tell you how educational and fun this has been, how many bunny trails the kids have been down because of this very easy but rich and deep subject being added. 

 

And, honestly, the BEST thing about this is that it is not at all turning into a "look how good we have it in the US" kind of thing. Quite the contrary! Many countries, in many different ways, have it much better than we have it, depending on your perspective and the issue at hand. Naturally, there are some countries that you would never want to trade places to live in, but it has been eye-opening to be exposed to positive attributes of countries you may have heard mostly negatives about. 

 

[Scrub Jay]

Live in Los Angeles?

 

Kidding, but it does help! :)

[mamaraby]

Basically, we track news, holidays, and events around the world, learning about different countries' customs, religions, food, celebrations/holidays, seasons, conflicts, etc. We have one of those 4x6 blank world outline maps from Rainbow Resource, and we annotate and date locations as they come up. I can't tell you how educational and fun this has been, how many bunny trails the kids have been down because of this very easy but rich and deep subject being added

I love this. What are you using for your news source? Radio (NPR/BBC)? Newspaper? TV? Kid-specific resource?

[marbel]

Lots of good ideas here. 

 

Another:  Sponsor a child in another country.  Exchange letters.  We sponsor a girl in Uganda and when my kids were younger they were blown away by her thank you note for the birthday money we sent her (through the organization).  I don't remember the amount but among the things she bought was a goat for her family. 

 

Our church sponsors (through the denomination) missionaries all over the world.  We read their letters, keep up on what they are doing.

 

Food to me is a no-brainer.  We are always trying food from other cultures.  Maybe it's because I've spent most of my adult life in fairly diverse metropolitan areas but we eat all sorts of things.  It was better when we lived in Portland (OR) - lots of markets of all kinds. 

 

Read books about different places.

 

Never talk about something/someone different as "weird."  It's amazing to me how  someone will say a kind of food is weird.  It's just different.   Gah, my sister flipped out when her daughter started eating hummus.  "Ooh, it's so weird." Seriously? 

 

ETA: But please don't do what a friend of mine did.  She put every other culture above her own.  They were all more interesting, cooler, better, etc.   A little patriotism/national pride is not a bad thing, imo. 

[Amira]

I think it's as simple as having globally-minded parents. I grew up in an extremely homogenous place and before the Internet there weren't as many resources as there are now. We couldn't do most of the things listed above but my parents still raised global children. It was always just part of our lives. I will say, however, that interest and personality made a difference and that some of my sisters are more globally-minded than others. But it doesn't necessarily require special resources or living in a diverse place. You teach what's important to you.

[Cammie]

Travel - it doesn't take much to change a child's view of the world.  Growing up my family took a trip to Peru when I was about 13.  It was LIFE changing.  It opened me up to SO much more and created an international view in me that I didn't have before.  One well-timed trip (not too young) can really do amazing things!

[Alte Veste Academy]

I love this. What are you using for your news source? Radio (NPR/BBC)? Newspaper? TV? Kid-specific resource?

 

I scour the paper and check the sites on this list frequently. It is fun to examine different reporting of the same event. 

[mamaraby]

I scour the paper and check the sites on this list frequently. It is fun to examine different reporting of the same event.

I stumbled across that list after I asked wondering if there was something like it. Good to know it's useful.

 

I also downloaded the News-o-Matic app for the kids' iPad. They're having a sale until March 2nd where 1 year is $4.99. It's only five news stories a day and it's fairly gentle for those that look for something like that. I thought my youngers might appreciate it the most.

 

I'm thinking of going with something along the lines of what you're doing and a bit of a related cultures/community study for my 6yo/4yo. I did something similar with my now 3rd grader way back when, but haven't kept it up.

 

This thread was a great reminder. Thanks!

[elegantlion]

Well I'm trying, I think we're getting there. We live in the midwestern US, in a small rural town, not a huge amount of cultural diversity or experiences. Foreign language study has been part of it. I try to do a cultural aspect to each language, so far Japanese and a little Russian. Travel isn't an option for us at this point, but we try to view the world from the perspective of someone in that place. This board has been helpful in expanding my horizons and I share much of that with my son. 

 

Foreign films is another outlet. Geography, obviously. 

 

His history class this year has morphed into an "Introduction to Human Cultures". We've looked at the development of language, ethics, and next week we'll look at cultures with part of my sociology textbook and bits from an anthropology text. Later we're doing world religions. 

 

To be honest, I think some of this training started years ago when he was hooked on Star Trek. We've never had the money to travel, we don't live in an area where diversity is celebrated, but Star Trek helped him see that not everyone has to be alike to get along. It's an abstract entrance to being a global thinker, but I do think it has been an important part of it for our family. 

 

At this point, ds wants to live abroad, so at least he's curious and realizes the US is not the center of the universe. 

[Mom in High Heels]

I agree with everything above.  Raising Indy as a global child has not been a problem, as he lived in Europe for almost his first 11 years and has been to 21 countries on 4 continents, so he's got a great world view.  Some of the places we went were huge eye openers for him (and some for me!), but Han Solo will grow up very differently.  I do worry about how we will get him to see the world outside of the US.  I suppose we'll just have to travel.  :)  

[Tammi K]

We've lived in three different countries - so that helps. We've traveled out of the country when we've been able to, as well. It's often eye opening for the kids to see that real life in tourist areas is not the same as a vacation.

 

We've hosted exchange students. That is always insightful. (So far we've had several from Japan and some visiting from Norway and Sweden.)  

 

We talk about the news and use it as a launching point to talk about cultural differences.

 

I like the OPs question because I think there are many Americans who don't even realize what an insular country we are. When DH and I first told our families that we were moving overseas, way back 28 years ago, they couldn't begin to understand why we would want to do such a thing. Europe was far away but surely we lost our minds when we told them we were moving to Australia!  All these years later, many of them still don't get it.

[Heather in Neverland]

Not everyone can do it but... live abroad. It has changed me and my kids forever. They are very globally-minded. In fact, I worry a bit because they seem to have no real affinity for the U.S. (especially my younger 2) as Malaysia is all they remember. That bums me out a bit. But the upsides are so many, it is worth it.

[Kalmia]

I think, besides travel (which is the absolute best), the second best way to introduce children to the world is to find ways to introduce new cultures through an anthropological perspective. Anthropology, as a social science, is the study of culture done in a factual way, with as little sensationalism, sentimentality, or negative comparisons, or bias as possible. They also don't depict cultures based solely on their festivals (which seems like all that is available for kids). Unfortunately, I know of no ethnographies (the participant-observation books written by anthropologists who live in a culture for long periods of time) that have been written for children.

 

This Goodreads list is a great place for you to start to find books that you can preview for high school or take appropriate excerpts out of now for your oldest. Be aware that ethnographies often explore the sexual traditions in each culture (thus the need to preview and perhaps use only excerpts depending on the age of the student). The Forest People by Colin Turnbull and The Yanamamo by Napoleon Changnon are classic ethnographies and are on this list. Some on the list are not by anthropologists though: Don't Sleep there are Snakes by Daniel Everett is an interesting book but written by a missionary. Not all ethnographies study small scale cultures. There are anthropologists who have done participant observation on Wall Street, for example, and have lived (lol) to write about it.

 

http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/ethnography

 

 

There is a series of short classic ethnographies by Waveland Press that we used in anthopology class in college. Some of these would be appropriate for when your oldest reaches junior or senior year of high school. Here are a few I particularly enjoyed, but they have them for hundreds of cultures. You might enjoy picking them up to read yourself in anticipation of high school. 

 

Papago Woman

http://www.amazon.com/Papago-Woman-Intimate-Portrait-American/dp/0881330426/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393571648&sr=1-1&keywords=papago+woman

 

The Gypsies

http://www.amazon.com/Gypsies-Jan-Yoors-ebook/dp/B00HFZXHI0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393572112&sr=1-1&keywords=waveland+press+gypsy

 

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali (this one might wait until the kids are much older!)

http://www.amazon.com/Monique-Mango-Rains-Consulting-published/dp/B00E32EICC/ref=sr_1_34?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393572188&sr=1-34&keywords=waveland+press

 

In terms of hands-on and great for younger kids, I would suggest you visit as many museums with international art and cultural artifact collections as possible. The Smithsonian, some natural history museums, and The MET. 

 

Taking advantage of classes or workshops in international arts or cooking might be another excellent avenue.

 

 

[lewelma]

Not everyone can do it but... live abroad. It has changed me and my forever. They are so globally-minded. In fact, I worry a bit because they seem to have no real affinity for the U.S. (especially my younger 2) as Malaysia is all they remember. That bums me out a bit. But the upsides are so many, it is worth it.

I have lived in NZ for 18 years, and like yours, my children have no real affinity for the US.

 

We were watching a US superhero movie, in which the hero states that America is the best country in the world. And my ds turns to me and asks "Why is *America* the best country in the world?" This led to a long conversation about patriotism. NZ just doesn't do it like America does. America is just so big that you can travel within it and feel you have seen something so different. In contrast, NZ is so small that every person who can afford it (as in don't buy a house or even a car until you do) is expected to have an 'OE' (overseas experience) where you live and work overseas for 2 years. There was even an OE stamp a few years back with the tag line 'kiwis take on the world.' For me personally, I have not met a single kiwi who has not lived abroad at least for a short period.

 

I agree with you, living abroad changes you forever.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Heather in Neverland]

I have lived in NZ for 18 years, and like yours, my children have no real affinity for the US.

 

We were watching a US superhero movie, in which the hero states that America is the best country in the world. And my ds turns to me and asks "Why is *America* the best country in the world?" This led to a long conversation about patriotism. NZ just doesn't do it like America does. America is just so big that you can travel within it and feel you have seen something so different. In contrast, NZ is so small that every person who can afford it (as in don't buy a house or even a car until you do) is expected to have an 'OE' (overseas experience) where you live and work overseas for 2 years. There was even an OE stamp a few years back with the tag line 'kiwis take on the world.' For me personally, I have not met a single kiwi who has not lived abroad at least for a short period.

 

I agree with you, living abroad changes you forever.

 

Ruth in NZ

I have a kiwi on staff here doing just that... Having an overseas experience.

[creekland]

I think it's as simple as having globally-minded parents. I grew up in an extremely homogenous place and before the Internet, there weren't as many resources as there are now. We couldn't do most of the things listed above, but my parents still raised global children. It was always just part of our lives. I will saw, however, that interest and personality made a difference and that some of my sisters are more globally-minded than others. But it doesn't necessarily require special resources, or living in a diverse place. You teach what's important to you.

 

This.  Other than living on the Canadian border in my youth and traveling to Mexico once, my parents couldn't afford travel overseas nor were there many cultural events in our rural area.  But my parents still raised us with the belief that ALL people are equal and to be adventurous in trying things others love (from food to activities).

 

No one chooses where they are born.  It's a birth lottery.  We're raised in the culture we get based upon that lottery (not just country, but region and family).  Borders are 100% man-made... our planet doesn't actually have any on its own (but it's fun seeing how many people will look down into the St Lawrence river to try to see the line between the US and Canada...).

 

We (general) raise kids with maps and borders and cultural boundaries, but if one makes the effort to point out what else is out there and how one's life could easily have been different with a different birth lottery result, it goes far.  Travel if you can - it's better IMO than almost anything else - but it's the attitude of the adults that will make the biggest difference.  Do you travel and compare everything to the US/home?  Do you travel within the US and still eat at the same chain food places rather than trying a local diner/dishes?  Do you avoid contact with other races or cultures?  Or do you embrace it all?  Kids learn from example.

 

Travel shows we've loved have been Globetrekker and Lonely Planet (as well as some other single shows).  BBC news and even China's News (CCNEW channel) can be excellent sources for discussion.

 

My kids (all of us really) consider ourselves citizens of this planet.  It's our "home."  Our country, state, and specific localities are just man-made decisions.  We always try to be good citizens for all and consider no one more "worthy" than another based upon a simple lottery.  We will discuss pros and cons of various locations.  We will root for Americans in sports (or Nobel Prizes) since that's where we live (Canadians being a close second) in a similar manner to how we'll root for local teams over those from further away, but we'll be impressed with great performances from anyone and offer kudos to them knowing we're all brothers and sisters on this planet.

[DawnM]

I wanted to raise my kids overseas......that hasn't happened.  I grew up overseas.  I feel that my heritage is so much the richer for it.  

 

In LA we lived globally.....lots of diversity and international friends, culture, etc....

 

Here in North Carolina, we have had to search for it.  But we have found it, and I am raising my kids with friends from around the world and becoming very involved in international groups.   We are part of an international bible study group and have become quite close to many of them, we adopted internationally, and we talk a LOT.

 

What we have run into here in NC is more blatant racism than we were ever used to before.  My kids have started calling other kids out on it.  I have gotten some flack for it from their parents, I don't care.  I tell them how proud I am of my children for calling their kids out on it (I don't word it that way, but I do speak up).  I hate racism and I hate ethnocentrism.  Patriotism is one thing, thinking everyone else is scum is another.   I won't stand for it.  I say something and I make no apologies for it.

 

This year has been great.  We have been a part of a Co-op with like minded families and studied the major religions of the world and had visitors from various parts of the world come and talk to us about their religion.  

[marbel]

<snip>

 

I like the OPs question because I think there are many Americans who don't even realize what an insular country we are. When DH and I first told our families that we were moving overseas, way back 28 years ago, they couldn't begin to understand why we would want to do such a thing. Europe was far away but surely we lost our minds when we told them we were moving to Australia!  All these years later, many of them still don't get it.

 

This even happens within the US.

 

I've spent most of my life on the west coast. While there are native Californians and Oregonians, I think more people are from somewhere else.  It's a pretty diverse area and people are open to different cultures.  There are restaurants and shops with every kind of food you can want.  Ethnic festivals, etc.

 

Then we moved to the east coast - the Philadelphia suburbs.  Oh my!  What a difference!  Most people in our neighborhood have lived here all their lives.  Many people live in the house they grew up in, go to the same school their parents did, etc.  To many people here, there is NOTHING worth seeing or doing outside Philly.  [ETA: Except going to Florida for vacation. Seems like everyone goes to Florida.]  I've met people who see no reason to go to New York City, which is just about 90 minutes drive away.    Oregon is like a foreign country.   People don't even know where it is. 

 

Of course Philadelphia is a big city so there are other kinds of stores and restaurants but it is not nearly as visible and available as I was used to.  And much of the city itself is not that easy or pleasant to get around in, at least for my suburbanite family.  (Train is expensive, parking is expensive, traffic is terrible, etc.)

 

I had felt bad moving my kids across the country.  Well, I still feel bad because we all miss Oregon, BUT I am so glad my kids have lived at least two places and see that not everything is like home.  Of course it would be better if we could travel more extensively, but even the one move has helped them see that home can be anywhere, and every place doesn't have to be the same.

[Jane in NC]

While I too think that travel is a component, perhaps the more important piece is exposure to the larger world of ideas in general.  My neighbor lived all over the world at one point in his early career but he told me that he was so Ameri-centric that he never sought out new foods or cultural opportunities. He basically went somewhere to get the job done and then returned to the States.

 

Now he has retired (in his mid-50's) and you can't keep the boy down on the farm!  He and his wife are always traveling to somewhere interesting, trying something new.  His wife has really helped him broaden his horizons. This does not mean that he doesn't like baseball and burgers.  But he no longer balks at things not in his experience.

 

Like Creekland, we are fans of the travel program Globetrekker. I get a vicarious thrill watching this! When my son was a high school student, I assigned Euronews programs to help him learn French but we found the headlines from the European perspective to be broadening. The regional university has cultural fairs, foreign films, speakers.  Community reads at libraries have included authors with ties to other places.  Sometimes it takes a bit of searching, but even in small town America (which is where I live) there are possibilities.

[creekland]

What we have run into here in NC is more blatant racism than we were ever used to before.  My kids have started calling other kids out on it.  I have gotten some flack for it from their parents, I don't care.  I tell them how proud I am of my children for calling their kids out on it (I don't word it that way, but I do speak up).  I hate racism and I hate ethnocentrism.  Patriotism is one thing, thinking everyone else is scum is another.   I won't stand for it.  I say something and I make no apologies for it.

 

 

And this is why I was so internally pleased to see what my middle son posted in this thread:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/506250-occasionally-you-get-one-of-those-things-you-just-want-to-share/

 

My in-laws are from VA/SC and I never realized racism could be so strong until I met them, esp my MIL.  It was unreal.  Hubby was raised that way, but started to learn life could be different in college.  Even now though, he'll admit (to me) that he still has "first impressions" to overcome and he hates that he has to deal with it and can't just "fix it" to be the way he wants to be from the beginning.  Our models get ingrained.

 

But the next generation - all three of my boys, and from hubby's brother's side - it's "fixed."  May more of this happen as that test middle son posted seemed to point to only 17% with his viewpoint sadly.

 

This even happens within the US.

 

I've spent most of my life on the west coast. While there are native Californians and Oregonians, I think more people are from somewhere else.  It's a pretty diverse area and people are open to different cultures.  There are restaurants and shops with every kind of food you can want.  Ethnic festivals, etc.

 

Then we moved to the east coast - the Philadelphia suburbs.  Oh my!  What a difference!  Most people in our neighborhood have lived here all their lives.  Many people live in the house they grew up in, go to the same school their parents did, etc.  To many people here, there is NOTHING worth seeing or doing outside Philly.  [ETA: Except going to Florida for vacation. Seems like everyone goes to Florida.]  I've met people who see no reason to go to New York City, which is just about 90 minutes drive away.    Oregon is like a foreign country.   People don't even know where it is. 

 

Of course Philadelphia is a big city so there are other kinds of stores and restaurants but it is not nearly as visible and available as I was used to.  And much of the city itself is not that easy or pleasant to get around in, at least for my suburbanite family.  (Train is expensive, parking is expensive, traffic is terrible, etc.)

 

I had felt bad moving my kids across the country.  Well, I still feel bad because we all miss Oregon, BUT I am so glad my kids have lived at least two places and see that not everything is like home.  Of course it would be better if we could travel more extensively, but even the one move has helped them see that home can be anywhere, and every place doesn't have to be the same.

 

This happens in many places we've traveled, east, west, north and south.  It's less in FL and in places in larger cities, but way too common elsewhere.  We travel back roads whenever we can (agreeing with Charles Kuralt and his opinion that, "Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything."  We stop in local places having a RULE stating that when we travel we CAN NOT eat anywhere we could eat at home restaurant-wise.  Locals tend to know who isn't local in those situations, so we can have some wonderful conversations with waitresses and have even had cooks come share dishes with us in a place or two.  But many of those folks also haven't traveled far... At times we've been the only people from PA the waitress had ever knowingly met.

 

A global minded traveling culture is definitely a different one in the US.  We love being part of it.  My guys would love to travel in depth to every country in the world if they could and are envious of those who have done more.  I'm right there with them.

 

While I too think that travel is a component, perhaps the more important piece is exposure to the larger world of ideas in general.  My neighbor lived all over the world at one point in his early career but he told me that he was so Ameri-centric that he never sought out new foods or cultural opportunities. He basically went somewhere to get the job done and then returned to the States.

 

 

We've talked to many who go places, but do nothing but complain how they can't find anything edible to eat since their favorite chains aren't around or they are upset at the lodging options or similar.  One (VERY WEALTHY) guy told us he travels all over the world - so he can eat at McDonald's everywhere and compare them.  When a new one opens, he's near first in line to test it out.  When asked if he then compares the food in other local dining places he looked at us like we were crazy.  He wouldn't touch that stuff.

 

It's definitely a different cultural core ideal, not just related to travel itself.

[Amira]

It's interesting for me to see how differently global each of my children are. They've had very diverse childhoods and dh and I are about as global as you can get, but it still hasn't necessarily created three ideally global children. One has never valued his globalness much because he focuses on the negative parts of our lifestyle and he tried to hide his globalness. It's been good for him to spend more time with other expat teenagers because he's finally not the unusual one. My 6yo sees every country as an exciting place to live someday and wants to see everything and find friends everywhere. My other teenager loves the cultures, food, history, and sports he's seen in so many places. He's the child that will explore with me.

 

They're all global, but it looks very different for each of them, and I've learned not to require my oldest to be global the way I want him to be because it's just not him.

[Mbelle]

While I too think that travel is a component, perhaps the more important piece is exposure to the larger world of ideas in general. 

 

This is what I have found. While dh and I have traveled and lived in different places in the last 25 years, in addition to being from 2 different countries and meeting each other in another coutnry, and it has certainly influenced our lives.  We have friends who haven't traveled but they do think about things and are able to see many sides to issues and cultures.  We feel at "home" when we get together with them and that is not something that happens often for us.

 

I have also come to appreciate home and place and value our own culture.  Not everyone can travel and like has been mentioned above not everyone who does travel wants to experience.  I live in a very diverse city and I see that with locals and immigrants alike and that is ok.  Some people are comfortable exlporing places and ideas and others are not,  I think what happens sometimes is that just because we think about something does not mean we have to take it on as our own idea/culture and perhaps some people just don't realize that and that causes anxiety.  

 

The only drawback to this is that we find we tend to not fit in anywhere and some people are very set in their ways and may not want your children tainting theirs! LOL  It seem funny, but it is tiresome.  The upside is that I think the friends we do have are interesting people!  I think my kids are at an age where they are really noticing the difference and is going to be interesting to see how it plays out.  

[myfunnybunch]

Maybe at some point you could host an exchange student.

 

We can't afford to travel the world or to move to another country. Instead we host exchange students, and it has been an amazing experience. We've had students from China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Estonia, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. We're still in contact with most of them.

 

I just got a part-time job in part so that we can save our money for travel. The one time we were able to travel to another country (Mexico) we avoided the "resort-y" experience and rented a house in a tiny town just outside our destination. The difference between the tiny town and the outskirts of the town itself, and the touristy old-town area and resort area was astonishing and quite an eye-opener for us and for our children. We know if we get further opportunities for travel that we want to make sure to experience the local culture and environment.

 

Bonus: When we do have the opportunity to travel, we'd like to visit some of our former students and they've offered to "host" us, so we'll have guides. :)

 

Cat

[quark]

We are immigrants from Asia. I have traveled as a child and teen and am fortunate that I got to tag along whenever dad could bring us around (for many years, dad's work involved global travel). Hubby and I have moved across the world to be here in the US and prior to that we also moved from our multi-ethnic original country to another multi-ethnic neighboring country and lived there for about 6-7 years.

 

I strongly feel that the best option is to meet and get to know as many people from other cultures as you can. It's the country's people that give you the most authentic experiences. For example, we like trying different restaurants near where we live in CA but have found that while we can learn about the dishes and the ingredients etc, many restaurants change something or other about their native dishes to suit the palate of the host country. When a friend from that country treats us to home cooked food, the difference in taste is often obvious and I like asking him/ her about the ingredients. We also found this to be very true when we visit restaurants here that serve our ethnic food. The taste, amount of a specific spice or seasoning etc is often different from what we experienced growing up in our native country and from what I use at home.

 

It is also useful to be aware that what is normal for people from the northern part of a country might not be normal for people from the south, east, west, central areas, cities vs villages and so on. Just like the US. It's really very interesting when you think about all these differences. Yet people from different countries can also be very similar inside, with regards to interests and so on. I was once involved in an interesting discussion about learning math and in the group there were Americans who have not lived anywhere but in the US, Asians who have lived in Asia and the US, and Europeans who have lived in Europe and the US. It was just so interesting to pick up all the undercurrents of similarities and differences in beliefs. Even among the Asians and Europeans, members from different Asian countries and different European nations were disagreeing about certain things between themselves based on their individual education systems and specific cultural biases.

 

It's nice to sometimes briefly disengage from the content of the discussion and really observe where people are coming from culturally when they speak. I like doing that sometimes and it's so fun to just observe people speak, gesticulate, ask for specific definitions (because when they translate it to their language it might mean something different!) and so on. Pretty cool.

[Tammi K]

This even happens within the US.

 

 

 

Then we moved to the east coast - the Philadelphia suburbs. 

Ah well, that explains why family's 'stay put" reaction...we're originally from an area an hour west of Philly! :tongue_smilie:

[Piper]

I'd like to add that to help raise a global child, I really think that teaching world history helps a lot.  It's really effective at staving off the insularity that can arise in any country/region.  I guess it's all a part of being aware of other parts of the world and learning about their culture.

[PeacefulChaos]

So the fact that I listen to korean pop music in the car is already getting them started, right?  
:lol: :lol:  Jk. 

[myfunnybunch]

I'd like to add that to help raise a global child, I really think that teaching world history helps a lot.  It's really effective at staving off the insularity that can arise in any country/region.  I guess it's all a part of being aware of other parts of the world and learning about their culture.

 

As well as understanding how different cultures view history--world history and history of their own culture. And current events.

 

We had a Japanese and a Korean student at the same time, open to discussing the mutual history between the two countries. Over the end of dinner one evening. Wow. They handled it very openly and very well, and not too deeply because they just couldn't do that politely, but...wow. And getting the perspectives of Chinese students and students from South Korea on what's going on in North Korea. Another wow, absolutely fascinating. Heartbreaking at times. I had no idea.

 

Cat

[creekland]

 I often wish we'd feel less like global citizens (AKA perpetual foreigners) and more like people who have an actual home. 

 

I'll admit we settled down into one place when our oldest was ready to start kindergarten because we wanted our kids to have a hometown.  Their hometown is not their native state (when asked or needing to put "it" on a form), but it is the place they can point to or talk about when conversations turn to where they grew up.

 

I have no idea if they'll appreciate that or not in later years.  Since we raised them to be more globally minded, mine have been eager to finish their schooling years and set out on their own.  All three picked colleges states away.  All three left here thinking they'd live in other countries (oldest has changed that due to getting married and his wife's preference, but they both leave the future open).

 

Even us adults are incredibly unsure now whether we pull up stakes and continue being nomads, or simply travel more and enjoy the community life we've built and find ourselves rather enjoying.

 

No matter what, we still have a global mindset.

 

[Alte Veste Academy]

How old are your kids (or was it kid?)? And how do you do it? What kind of discussions does this lead to? Which sources do you use? What do you do when a particular news item has a complicated back story that takes years to explain? How do you handle extreme violence and stuff like rape (if your kids are elementary aged)?

 

My kids are DS11, DD9, and DSalmost8. LOL

 

We check out lots of books from the library (on particular countries, religions, specific holidays, etc.). I read the newspaper and clip particular articles I want to discuss with them. We frequent the kids' news sites linked above and discuss. Sometimes, articles/videos will allude to and cover some back story and/or I will try to synopsize for the kids and/or they will know some of the back story from the history and geography we have already covered. Most things that would take years to explain are a big enough deal to have been touched upon in history (the conflicts in the Middle East, for example). Sometimes news with long back stories sparks a particular interest and we just read more on the subject. 

 

Extreme violence is judged on an individual pro/con basis. We do not do sensational stuff, ever. Tsunamis, typhoons, and other natural disasters, yes. We do wars/conflicts (in history and current events), but not in excruciating detail. The sites we use are generally not too graphic for us, but I have been known to censor them when I feel they are too much for my kids. We do not talk about rape yet (as an element of news, although we have discussed appropriate boundaries and personal physical/emotional safety). I intentionally let the darkness of the world in slowly around here. Goodness knows there will be plenty of exposure to that as they get older. My oldest tends toward anxious and my younger two are still kind of in the magical phase of childhood, so we'll get there when we get there. 

[SKL]

How do you define "global citizens"? If you mean being so international that you don't fit in anywhere and have no choice but to describe yourself as a "global citizen", we've certainly managed to do that. If you're not of mixed heritage already, you could always move to a country where you will be an ethnic and cultural minority and make sure your kids grow up there. You know you're successfully creating "global citizens" when your kids see that country as their home, yet someone asks them where they come from at least once a day. Bonus points if your kid answers "I don't know" and means it. 

 

This is something I am honestly struggling with. I often wish we'd feel less like global citizens (AKA perpetual foreigners) and more like people who have an actual home. 

 

Yes, and I was thinking, be careful of going too far in the opposite direction from patriotism.  It seems to me that raising kids to think their country is inferior / arrogant etc. is akin to raising them to disrespect one or both parents.  It's totally natural to identify with one's homeland, and it's healthy to be proud of one's country.  I believe this is quite possible without also thinking the rest of the world is inferior.  Just like every country has different valuable natural resources, every country has its own wealth of culture, talent, history, etc.  So don't leave out one's country of origin from the world appreciation lessons.  :)

[J-rap]

These are some of the things we did/are doing:

 

Follow international news, and talk about it a lot.

Travel internationally, if possible.

Spend a lot of time reading and watching movies about world history and culture (doesn't all have to be text-book based; the ones we loved the most were memoirs, biographies, etc.).

Require your children to study a foreign language all four years.

Attend international festivals, camps, etc. in your community.

Become involved with the foreign exchange students in your community, if possible.

We encouraged each of our children to spend a year in another country as a gap year before college.  They all have done this.  It has been a mix of traveling, volunteer work, and studying.

Marry someone from another country.  :)  (We didn't plan this, but so far it has happened, twice!)

 

 

 

[elfgivas]

I HIGHLY recommend the Families of the World DVD's.  

 

They have a lot of options and are available at our library.  DH and I enjoyed them as much as DD did when she was 5 or 6.  Everyone we've recommended them to has enjoyed them.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Families%20of%20the%20World

 

we started these when the girls were quite little.  they got to check one out of the library each week.  

any historical fiction begins the idea that there is more than one way to do things.....

the girls liked "the girls of many lands" books from american girl.

and the princess diaries from the dear diaries series.

 

and we travelled.  a lot.

 

dh suggested the david attenborough nature videos.  they show all sorts of things, not just the theme, because they are visiting many different places and peoples to film the animals/plants/insects etc.

 

hth,

ann

 

eta:  this is a great question.  i am realizing all the little (and big) things we do.  

1. "story of the world" was great, because it covered history of the World, not just US.  but then we would cook foods from whatever area of the world we were listening to stories about.  

2. when they did "la clase divertida" dvds in the first few years of school, sr. gamache included cooking, and historical and cultural information.  it was great.  dd#3 is doing his live online high school spanish now, and there are cultural elements to it, too.

3.  there are two globes hanging over the piano, one more geographic and one more political.  we use them all the time.

4.  when they were younger, Five in a Row also included lots of cultural information

5.  historyatourhouse.com also helped a lot.

6.  languages, more languages, and, oh look, more languages ;).  (for us, this includes the food, music, art, and dress of the cultures speaking the language)

7.  when they were little, we also used paper dolls of different eras for them to play with while they listened to story of the world.

8.  a few Christmases, we have spent december exploring christmas in different places.  that's fun!

some of these aren't so hard to manage, others a little more so.  but the internet gives me recipes, fashion, music, art etc at my fingertips.

 

[Alte Veste Academy]

I'd like to add that to help raise a global child, I really think that teaching world history helps a lot.  It's really effective at staving off the insularity that can arise in any country/region.  I guess it's all a part of being aware of other parts of the world and learning about their culture.

 

 

 

I agree. Furthermore, I like to teach world history separate from American history so that instead of feeling like we need to add in more American detail, we are free to dive into other countries' histories in greater detail. When we cover world history, we cover WORLD history, not world history with an out of proportion focus on America. 

[Embassy]

Raising global kids is very important to us.  It helps that my husband and I are globally minded.  We have been learning several foreign languages (from cultures quite different from our own) since Kindergarten and will continue to make this an important part of our homeschool.  Geography is focused on cultural geography and it is a subject that we do every year.  We also teach our children that people are people and that the life of a person in one country is no more or less valuable than a life of a person living here.  We teach them that they shouldn't love one bit of dirt (country) more than another either.  Living in different parts of the world can help too :)

[Laura Corin]

Yes, and I was thinking, be careful of going too far in the opposite direction from patriotism.  It seems to me that raising kids to think their country is inferior / arrogant etc. is akin to raising them to disrespect one or both parents.  It's totally natural to identify with one's homeland, and it's healthy to be proud of one's country.  I believe this is quite possible without also thinking the rest of the world is inferior.  Just like every country has different valuable natural resources, every country has its own wealth of culture, talent, history, etc.  So don't leave out one's country of origin from the world appreciation lessons.  :)

 

I don't think that Dialectica was talking about teaching her children to disrespect her own country.  Instead, she and her partner come from different countries and the children have grown up in a third.  This is our situation too.  Calvin, in particular, has no idea where his home country is.  It's not about disrespect - just confusion.

 

L

[SKL]

And SKL, if I recall correctly your kids were adopted internationally? If that is true, there is no guarantee that they'll identify as Americans when they grow up.

 

There are no guarantees when it comes to our kids in any case.

 

Their citizenship is US, so there is that minor detail.  My point is that I want them to appreciate and respect the US no less than various other countries where they have no significant ties.  In my kids' specific case, of course I want the same with respect to their birth country.  Most of the folks here don't have to worry about that particular wrinkle.

 

I wanted to clarify that I was not meaning to pick on anything you said.  Your post (which I agreed with 100%) sparked another thought I was meaning to share.  There were comments to the effect that we need to fight against the tendency to be too my-country-centric.  I think it's healthy to feel ____an.  Like a child who develops healthy relationships within a family will usually be more ready to develop healthy relationships outside the family, the same logic extends to love for country.  I think this is consistent with what you were saying.  Unfortunately this may not be something easy for you to provide for your child.

 

My kids' "nationality" as an international adoptee is not a simple matter at all, but it really depends on how they feel as they grow up.  At this point in their development, I'm providing resources and letting them lead.  But again, that is not relevant to most folks here.

[Negin]

This book used to be recommended on here: http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Global-Raising-Children/dp/0345506545/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393536272&sr=8-2&keywords=raising+global+children

 

 

That book was written by my dh's cousin. I met her once and she's super-nice - lovely family. :)

[Rosie_0801]

Everybody sing: It's a small world after all!

[Starr]

Everybody sing: It's a small world after all!

 

This made my day! :D

[umsami]

One thing we do is try to get our kids to appreciate all faiths/holidays/paths to divine.

 

So, even though we're Muslim, we bought a King Cake on Tuesday and talked a little bit about Mardi Gras and Lent (and what similarities there were to Ramadan).

 

We talk about Diwali and Hindu festivals.  We talk about solstice and pagan festivals.  We talk about Hanukkah, Purim, and the like. 

 

We really work hard not to demonize anybody--and to point out that there are always good people, always people that stand up to injustice, no matter what the cost.  So, when talking about the Nazis…we might talk about the various assassination attempts against Hitler, or the Germans like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who went to the concentration camps, etc.  When talking about American history, we do talk about the good things and are patriotic, but we also talk about the negative stuff. We'll also talk about the bombing of Dresden and all the civilians killed.  We'll talk about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  The bombings of Tokyo.  

 

As they get older, I'm sure we'll address the whole Suez Canal crisis, Israel/Palestine, and whatever wars are going on.  Ideally, the goal will be to see it from both sides… so if after talking about the Holocaust, do you see why the Jewish people wanted a homeland to feel safe?  And then…talk about the Palestinians…and their rights as well.  No doubt this will bring up the whole treatment of Native Americans and how we took their land.

 

My goal is for them to always look for the good people…to see the good… to not live in absolutes.  To not believe that an American or Muslim is better than a person of XYZ country or faith …. but rather to look at their deeds and actions to make that determination.  

 

 

[umsami]

dp, sorry :)

 

Might as well as use the space by posting

 

 

[Pam in CT]

Everybody sing: It's a small world after all!

 

:001_rolleyes: Those of us fortunate to have had the travel opportunity to indulge in the (in?)famous boat ride set to this theme in Orlando's Disney World might appreciate Bob Sehlinger's review of it in The Unofficial Guide... I don't have the exact text at hand, but it's something to the effect of: "It's a pleasant enough ride, for those who enjoy animatronic children in dated peasant costumes from around the world singing a cloying melody that will ring in your ears for the remainder of the week, but the experience would be substantially enhanced if all passengers were issued three softballs upon embarkation."