Raising my kids multi-cultural

Last updated on October 1st, 2023 at 04:16 pm

We are a multi-cultural family. We don’t have to speak different languages to be from completely different cultures. When I met my husband in Cancun, Mexico all those years ago, and moved to the UK I always thought in the back of my head, they speak english it can’t be that different. Fast forward 12 years, it is “that” different. Not in a bad way just a completely different culture way. I didn’t start really noticing it until I had children of my mine own.

I love that we are a regular part of three countries. It’s a blessing. We are so grateful we have the means to stay close to all three sides of the family in three different countries too. I know many expats that don’t get to go home as often as I do or visit extend family abroad either. I try my hardest to install how to be humble and grateful for it in my children as they grow up.

So how do we raise our kids multi-cultural?

I am American. We make sure we use American terms, spellings, family traditions, holidays and family history apart of our everyday life. We also get the luxury to visit and spend our entire summers in America with my family and all their extended cousins. Boy, do we have a great time. I think it’s important they get to bond with my family but also be able to be in America long enough o pick up customs, cultural differences and it be apart of them too.

My husband’s Dad is from England and his mom is from Southern Ireland, ROI. Therefore we have a big family in Ireland that we get to go visit and numerous cousins our kids age for them to bond and play with. We also have his Dad’s side of the family in the country we live in and the country all three of my children were born so they live this culture everyday, as a child would.

Somewhere along the mix we visit Spain and Mexico a lot, having both of us being able to speak Spanish and friends and family members that do, our kids also learn Spanish at home. Just to make it more of a challenge they learn both Latin American Spanish and Spain Spanish. Because typical, my husband was taught Spain Spanish and I was taught Latin American Spanish. Thus, having our kids having to learn to dialects from their mother and two from their father and three country’s holidays, traditions and customs.

If that isn’t raising them multi-cultural I don’t know what it.

But I also love it. I am grateful for it. I love making them worldly. I love that they get to experience things because we are a multi-cultural family. While it’s so SO hard living far away from family and maybe not getting that normal help from family members that would live all in the same country. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

There is not one better culture than the next. It’s opening their eyes, their hearts to accept differences and be apart of those same differences and love every minute of it as they grow up and experience them.

Are you raising multi-cultural kids? How have you found the difference between the cultures?

2 thoughts on “Raising my kids multi-cultural”

  1. Hey Jenny, great short post.

    It’s refreshing to see that someone feels the same way that i do, I especially like the way you highlight making your children “. I love making them worldly.”
    I feel the same way. anyhow a few friends of mine on Facebook will appreciate this post to, i’m off to share
    thanks – ava

    Reply

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