Awareness of one’s culture plays a very important role in a child’s development. The cultural heritage of a person is an amalgamation of practices and beliefs passed down from one generation to another. It is not an unknown fact that one’s culture and heritage constitute a major chunk of a person’s identity. Most parents fail to educate their children about their culture and heritage and go on to regret it later. So why is it so essential to ensure your children are aware of their culture? How do you teach your children about their rich heritage? And how will all of it help them become a more grounded and self-confident person? We have all the details! Read on!

Why is culture important in a child’s upbringing?

There are a plethora of reasons as to why you should educate your children about their culture. We bring to you a list of the most common and impactful reasons:

  • Helps build their identity

This is one of the most important reasons to teach your children about their culture and heritage. Knowing their history, where they hail from, and events that shaped their families, help children build their own identity.

Most children face a lot of trouble creating their unique identity during their teenage years. This can result in them trying to imitate other cultures and values in an attempt to “fit in”. Studies have proven that children who have in-depth knowledge about their culture tend to be more confident and comfortable in their own skin.

  • Instils values and morals

Every culture or tradition teaches kids strong ethical values and morals. Teaching your kids about values and morals will be more effective if they connect it to something, like their rich cultural heritage. Instead of enforcing values on your kids, educate them about their culture and the morals that it preaches. This will help your kids take a moral path as they grow up. It will also inspire them to do better and be better human beings.

  • Create unique memories

You are highly likely to remember the time you spent with your family on holidays when it comes to childhood memories. When your children are aware of their culture, they are more likely to willingly participate in family traditions, get-together, and festivals. This helps create unique memories that they are bound to remember way into their adult life. Studies have shown that adults who can remember happy childhood memories are less likely to be depressed or anxious.

  • Adds more colour to one’s life

Every culture is beautiful and filled with unique traditions. Culture adds spice and colour to one’s lives. Be it through festivals or simple family traditions, you are bound to make life more exciting for your children by introducing them to their culture. These traditions not only make your child happy but also gives them a chance to introduce their best friends to a unique part of their life and bond over it.

  • Protects culture and heritage

Your children are going to be the ones who carry on your culture and heritage in the future. Educating your children about their culture at a young age builds a sense of responsibility from a young age to protect and carry on this rich heritage. By teaching your kids about culture, not only are you making them strong and independent individuals but you are also protecting your culture.

  • Builds a strong family bond

Festivals and family traditions give children a great opportunity to connect with their grandparents and relatives. These festivals also help bring families closer and improve their bond. After all, it is hard to sulk at your parents for not getting the latest Ps5 when there is a plate of Ladoos tempting you in the kitchen.

How to teach your children about their culture?

So now that you know the importance of culture and heritage in a child’s upbringing, it is time to delve into the ways of making this happen. Contrary to what many people think, teaching children about their culture is not as hard as they make it seem. All it takes is a little patience and determination to make it happen. Here are 4 simple ways to teach your children about their culture:

  • Speak in your native tongue

This is one of the best ways to keep your culture alive. If you haven’t done it already, make an effort to teach your kids about their native tongue. The best way to do so is by talking to the native language at home until they pick it up. Additionally, you can also enrol your kids in language classes. This will not only help your child appreciate their culture but enables the ability to speak another language.

  • Celebrate festivals

Regardless of whether you are in your home country or far away from it, always celebrate your festivals. This is one of the easiest and fun ways to get your children to learn and appreciate their culture. Allow your kids to invite their friends to the celebration and share their culture with others.

  • Swap the regular bedtime stories for cultural ones

What better way to teach your kids about their culture than through interesting stories? Swap your regular fairytales for intriguing stories from your homeland. These stories not only educate your kids about their heritage but also act as a great tool in teaching morals and values.

  • Let them indulge in traditional clothing, food, and activities

Encourage your kids to indulge in cultural activities and experiment with traditional food and clothing. Introduce them to traditional art forms and movies from your homeland and try cooking the popular dishes from your culture over the weekend. This step is highly effective in also helping your child figure out what they like and build a unique personality.

What are the steps you have taken to educate your children about their culture and heritage? Let the other parents know in the comments!

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
>