How to Help Adopted Children Connect to Their Native Culture
Educate yourself about your child’s native culture., Share interesting information about your child’s native culture with them., Make it an open and celebrated topic., Enroll your child in a racially diverse school., Celebrate holidays of your...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Educate yourself about your child’s native culture.
The more information you have regarding your child’s native culture, the better equipped you will be to answer their questions and share insightful information.
Information resources available online and at your local library are invaluable in helping you and your adopted child connect with their native culture.
These resources include books (including photographic books), documentaries, websites, and videos online.Visit your local library and talk to the librarian about borrowing some resources regarding your child’s native culture.
For instance, if your child was born in Estonia, rent books and DVDs about Estonia from your local library, and type “Estonia culture and history” into your preferred search engine. -
Step 2: Share interesting information about your child’s native culture with them.
Showing your adopted child that you value and respect their native culture will make them happy and inspire them to do the same.
For instance, if your child’s native culture is that of India, explain to your child, “One of the world’s greatest leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, is from India.”Ask your child if they have knowledge of the religious traditions of their native culture.
For instance, if your adopted child is from India, you could ask, “Do you know that in India, cows are revered as sacred animals?” Share inventions of your adopted child’s native culture with them.
For instance, if your adopted child was born to Mexican parents, you could say, “Chocolate and popcorn are native inventions of Mexico.” , Maintaining an open and positive relationship with your children about their cultural and ethnic background is a great way for them to adapt successfully to the duality of being born in one culture and raised by another.
Explore, learn, and celebrate with your children their birth culture’s traditions, values, norms, and beliefs.
Make an effort to incorporate their birth culture's celebrated holidays and traditions into your own.
These techniques will help you and your children as they get older and are learning to develop their own self-identity., If your child is the only adopted child from a particular native culture in their school, they might feel out of place and isolated.
If possible, enroll your child in a school that has a more racially diverse student body.Even if a school does not have students of the same racial background as your adopted child, a more diverse student body will allow your adopted child to have a range of friends who might be better-equipped to share and understand feelings and thoughts about racism or discrimination., Different cultures have different holidays.
Check online for a list of holidays celebrated by your adopted child’s ancestors, or talk to others familiar with the holidays of your child’s native culture.
Identify holidays unique to that culture and celebrate them with your adopted child.For instance, if your adopted child is from Korea, you might celebrate Chuseok, a holiday often translated as “Korean Thanksgiving,” by making foods traditionally associated with the holiday like songpyeon, a type of rice cake. , Your adopted children may feel more comfortable and at home when they see that there are various elements related to their culture in their environment.
Hang artwork, or bring in other home decor related to your children’s birth culture.
Bring in music, movies, and culturally-specific foods for dinner.
Explore these items with your children to help them feel the comforts of home in a safe and fun environment., Your child might take pride in sharing the history and culture of their ancestral land at their school during international culture celebrations.
Your child might be interested in sharing information about their native culture at these events in the form of a brief presentation (accompanied by video or images), a performance of dance or music from their native culture, or by cooking and sharing food from their native culture.Direct your adopted child to tell their friends about their native culture.
Direct your adopted child to write about their native culture for homework assignments. -
Step 3: Make it an open and celebrated topic.
-
Step 4: Enroll your child in a racially diverse school.
-
Step 5: Celebrate holidays of your adopted child’s native culture.
-
Step 6: Bring in cultural elements within the home.
-
Step 7: Encourage your child to share their heritage.
Detailed Guide
The more information you have regarding your child’s native culture, the better equipped you will be to answer their questions and share insightful information.
Information resources available online and at your local library are invaluable in helping you and your adopted child connect with their native culture.
These resources include books (including photographic books), documentaries, websites, and videos online.Visit your local library and talk to the librarian about borrowing some resources regarding your child’s native culture.
For instance, if your child was born in Estonia, rent books and DVDs about Estonia from your local library, and type “Estonia culture and history” into your preferred search engine.
Showing your adopted child that you value and respect their native culture will make them happy and inspire them to do the same.
For instance, if your child’s native culture is that of India, explain to your child, “One of the world’s greatest leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, is from India.”Ask your child if they have knowledge of the religious traditions of their native culture.
For instance, if your adopted child is from India, you could ask, “Do you know that in India, cows are revered as sacred animals?” Share inventions of your adopted child’s native culture with them.
For instance, if your adopted child was born to Mexican parents, you could say, “Chocolate and popcorn are native inventions of Mexico.” , Maintaining an open and positive relationship with your children about their cultural and ethnic background is a great way for them to adapt successfully to the duality of being born in one culture and raised by another.
Explore, learn, and celebrate with your children their birth culture’s traditions, values, norms, and beliefs.
Make an effort to incorporate their birth culture's celebrated holidays and traditions into your own.
These techniques will help you and your children as they get older and are learning to develop their own self-identity., If your child is the only adopted child from a particular native culture in their school, they might feel out of place and isolated.
If possible, enroll your child in a school that has a more racially diverse student body.Even if a school does not have students of the same racial background as your adopted child, a more diverse student body will allow your adopted child to have a range of friends who might be better-equipped to share and understand feelings and thoughts about racism or discrimination., Different cultures have different holidays.
Check online for a list of holidays celebrated by your adopted child’s ancestors, or talk to others familiar with the holidays of your child’s native culture.
Identify holidays unique to that culture and celebrate them with your adopted child.For instance, if your adopted child is from Korea, you might celebrate Chuseok, a holiday often translated as “Korean Thanksgiving,” by making foods traditionally associated with the holiday like songpyeon, a type of rice cake. , Your adopted children may feel more comfortable and at home when they see that there are various elements related to their culture in their environment.
Hang artwork, or bring in other home decor related to your children’s birth culture.
Bring in music, movies, and culturally-specific foods for dinner.
Explore these items with your children to help them feel the comforts of home in a safe and fun environment., Your child might take pride in sharing the history and culture of their ancestral land at their school during international culture celebrations.
Your child might be interested in sharing information about their native culture at these events in the form of a brief presentation (accompanied by video or images), a performance of dance or music from their native culture, or by cooking and sharing food from their native culture.Direct your adopted child to tell their friends about their native culture.
Direct your adopted child to write about their native culture for homework assignments.
About the Author
Lori Webb
Specializes in breaking down complex crafts topics into simple steps.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: