How to raise your child to be a world citizen
Raising your child to become a world citizen is a pretty crucial job these days, we think.
Here are our 5 tips on raising little world citizens.
1. Give them cultural exposure
There are literally so many ways to learn about the world and the different people in it - books, music, magazines, films, museum visits, cooking foods from different cultures and many more. Anyone with an internet connection can learn and find resources, even about countries they previously knew nothing about. Children never learn just in school, they’re constantly learning from everything around them. The more they’re exposed to new cultures, unfamiliar ideas and (to them) strange practices, the more they will be open to them in the future. Cultural exposure doesn’t have to be monolithic either. If your kid loves learning about Ancient Egypt, they can learn about modern Egypt too - take them to try ful or kushari, show them the paintings of Inji Aflatoun or talk about the Arab Spring. All these things can be easily researched and only take a little effort to learn about.
Sushi, sumo and all the ways robots can help in everyday life….
Why not try our Japan workbook?
2. Learn a language
When it comes to raising your child as a world citizen, there are few skills as important as learning a foreign language. Many children (and their parents) get put off learning a language through bad experiences at school. Learning a language requires being vulnerable in a way that many people don’t like to be - you need to become a true beginner with no prior knowledge. It’s like being a small child again. Yet, if children can begin to learn this skill, particularly before the awkward teenage years, it’s a gift that gives back again and again.
Learning the language of a country gives unparalleled insight into that culture. There are so many things that can be learned through what words exist or don’t, levels of politeness within a society, cultural concepts which can’t be explained in different languages. Plus, learning one language predisposes people to learn another.
While learning a language at home is one thing that many parents are not qualified to do themselves, it is easy to support your child in learning another language. Regularly using an app like Duolingo is helpful, as is learning a language yourself and modelling it to your child. Finding age-appropriate learning materials in other languages is possible for all but the most obscure languages. There are plenty of websites to find language teachers with reasonable prices. Finally, children need to be supported through their frustrations and reminded why speaking a foreign language is so important - children can’t always see the big picture of how interconnected the world is, but their parents can.
3. Show them what learning and curiosity look like
It’s not just language learning that parents should model, but also what learning and curiosity look like. Kids learn curiosity best from curious, open minded parents who are always willing to learn new things. While it’s not that case that world citizens raise world citizens, it is true that children need open-mindedness and constant learning to be modelled to them. Explore a new culture together, go to an exhibition or read a book from a culture you know nothing about. You can learn together.
Parents need to be willing to learn from their kids as well. It can feel scary to place yourself in the position of ‘not knowing’ in front of your kids, but it opens them up to the concept of lifelong learning, and that exploration is a choice, not an achievement.
4. Travel isn’t just for fun, it’s for learning too
Travel holds a confused place in Western culture. We travel as a break from work, but also to explore something new, learn new things and meet new people. Travel looks very different for different people. Some love to relax in the sun, others want to explore and try new things. Others want to take great Instagram photos. For raising world citizens it's crucial that kids are aware of the privileges of travel and that, while it is an opportunity to relax, it is also an opportunity to learn. Holiday locations aren’t empty places waiting to be filled with tourists, but pre-existing locations with cultures and people different to their visitors. There is always something that can be learned about a holiday destination, beyond how the pool looks.
Emphasizing learning to kids as they travel is the first step to helping them become curious, globally minded citizens.
Waterfalls, geysers, hot springs and a lot of people who still believe in elves…
Why not try our Iceland workbook?
5. Talk about the bad and the good
When teaching kids about the world, there is often an emphasis only on the exciting, positive stuff. Beautiful beaches in Jamaica, delicious croissants in France, carnival in Brazil. Yet every country in the world has its share of problems and difficult histories. Often children are surprised in later life to learn that their view of the world is not as rosy as they initially learned. We believe that it is possible to learn about ‘the bad stuff’ in an age appropriate manner, and that this is an essential aspect of becoming a global citizen. Children should learn about slavery in Jamaica, colonial history in France, the destruction of the rainforest in Brazil. While it doesn’t have to be all that they learn or even the majority of what they learn about a place, it should be part of the story.