Creative tips for parents for raising a multicultural child. Help your children to grow up to be confident, well-rounded individuals who are proud of their heritage, respect and admire those around them, and celebrate diversity together.
My husband was born in India and I was born in the United States. We were brought up in two very different worlds and are trying out best to help our 3 children experience both worlds as an Interracial family.
Since we live here in the US, we take extra effort to ensure that encourage them to learn about India. On our site, we have shared a few ways to celebrate our cultures. (And honestly, many cultures around the world)
You will find a few kid’s activities focused on India here:
- Books About India
- Food from India
- Rangoli
- Diwali
- Holi
- Diya Crafts
- Indian Sweets
- Raksha Bandhan
- Durga Puja
- Navratri
- New Delhi
We’re excited that this is the start of festival seasons around the world, especially in India. August had a few fun activities for Indians and Hindus that I thought I’d share with you.
- India’s Independence Day on August 15
- Raksha Bandhan on August 20
- Janmashtami on August 28
Tips for Raising a Multicultural Child
- Talk to your child about their heritage. Help them to understand and appreciate their cultures.
- Expose your child to different cultures. This can be done through travel, food, music, art, and other activities.
- Teach your child about the importance of tolerance and respect. Help them to understand that everyone is different and that’s okay.
- Encourage your child to be proud of their heritage. Help them to feel comfortable talking about their cultures and traditions.
- Celebrate your child’s culture. This can be done through special events, holidays, and other activities.
- Find a multicultural community. This can be a great way for your children to connect with other children from similar backgrounds.
- Be a role model. Show your children that it’s important to be open-minded and accepting of others.
- Be patient. Raising a multicultural child can be challenging, but it’s also very rewarding.
Raising a multicultural child can be a wonderful experience. By following these tips, you can help your child to grow up to be confident, well-rounded individuals who are proud of their heritage.
Explore local Cultural Events in Your Community with Your Child
Sharing a variety of cultures with a child is a true gift you can give to them as a parent.
Research your local resources and find out if there are cultural events for kids.
We were lucky to find a Museum Family Day that featured India this month too. The kids were so excited to make a craft and watch the Indian dancers at the event. We went and experienced the month before an event focused on the Chinese New Year.
We even had fun listening to Punjabi music and dancing at home during those afternoon meltdown times.
In the United States, almost all of us originated from somewhere else, really I’m not from the United States my ancestors immigrated here from Ireland and England, where many generations ago my family moved here. My grandfather was into genealogy and was even been able to track one of my great great great grandfathers on the Mayflower!
I encourage you to explore your heritage with your kids and encourage them to become culturally aware.
Here are a few to get started…
- 9 Ways to Explore the World with Kids from your own Home!
- Activities for Kids About the World
- The Best Collection of Diverse Children’s Books
- Explore Schools Around the World as part of the Multicultural Kid Blogs Carnival!
- Exploring Cultures from Around the World with Kids
- One way we enjoy learning about other cultures is with Around the World in 12 Dishes Series.
Where is your family background from? Share with us ways you are teaching your child about it.
You may also enjoy these activity ideas for raising Global Kids…
Angela Waterford says
It’s true that sharing many cultures to my child will help her become more compassionate. I think I’ll enroll her in a multicultural preschool so that she’ll have a first-hand experience of getting to know children from other backgrounds. This way, she’ll know how to respect other people.
Jessica says
My family is also a combo of US and India. Despite spending significant time in both countries the challenge of integrating both cultures into the family is real! Thank you for sharing how you have incorporated Indian culture into your children’s lives. It’s so important for them to know where they come from and I applaud you for making the effort to make sure they embrace where they come from. Much love to you and your family.
Jessica
ourgloballove.com
yogamama says
I love local multicultural events! That is cool that you live in an area where this culture is celebrated! Thanks for linking up with Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop!
Kim Vij says
I'm so glad you found us and signed up for our newsletter. Learning about other cultures has been so much fun with my kids.
Kim Vij says
Thanks Natalie! It's been fun learning about India with them.
Cool Mom says
This is wonderful in so many ways. Your daughter is beautiful. We actually just moved into an extremely diverse area and we have so many Indian neighbors among other cultures. (Quite different from where we used to live and I welcome the change) I love knowing more about other cultures and look forward to sharing with my daughter. Thank you for sharing and thank you for hosting the linky. We are now following by email. Have a wonderful weekend.
Natalie F says
It's so amazing that you are able to share so much Indian culture with your children. The pictures are adorable.