Content and Culture : Shaping your child's self-identity

Social Development : Key aspects in childrens' culture and society 

Shaping your child's identity - What does this mean?

We tend to skip this process because we believe that it would be better suited to see how our children interact with other children in school, other people in society and so on. This can be true but there are more elements to the shaping of one's mind which is from conversation. Discussing with your child from the time they are able to grasp information and cling onto it, carry it with them, is the best way to begin. 

Self - identity is one of the ways in which your child is able to feel confident in their own skin and also fully understand themselves as an individual. This often starts from the age of 5/6 years old then takes a sudden leap into early adolescence and puberty. 

Questions arise between the 4 Ws and H: Who am I, Where am I from, What is my purpose, Why am I here, How did I get here

What is the role you can play in putting this puzzle together with your child? Asking them How they feel about themselves and What they would like to know about their family history or background and culture. What do they want to with their lives What is their favourite subject in school.

There is probably alot of questions you may not want to answer which is why there are many events and support groups that you can research online. However, home is not only a foundation to build from it is also where a child would rather get direct information based on what they'd like to know.

What is appropriate?

Treading carefully is also the most important part of the process for teaching your child about self-identity. This means taking your time and picking what stories fit your child's needs, knowledge (think about the emotional impact it would make when sharing information about their cultural identity). Gather as many family members or trusted friends if you will to keep your child engaged and motivated enough to ask more questions. Books from the library about your home country (if mother or father was not born/raised in same country as child), family portraits, photo albums, family trees, which they can have access to is a plus. Speaking dual languages is super beneficial as it enables a child to feel confident enough to approach you for more answers.

What is cultural competence ? It is based on the ability to interact with other cultures confidently and respectfully. This can be improved by always acknowledging other people's existence; such as reading multi-cultural books or watching various documentaries based on their background. According to Chris Lehmann, it should be mandatory in schools to dig deep into the impacts of multiculturalism. For instance, there should be tolerance, acceptance, respect between and amongst all races/cultures. We can survive this by consitently celebrating all our differences at home. But if this is not seen outside in the community where a child faces inequality or prejudice? Your child will have the knowledge of self - identity on their shoulders. They will be able to speak in a peaceful way and show courage through downfalls of social media content/mass media (most commonly known for displaying racial/cultural abuse). 

Critical Thinking. How can we teach this? Cultural Competence