So I am thinking about taking my young bloke who is 8 to his motherland to teach him our home language,to learn to play music and learn the culture etc.
We left our country 20 years ago.
He is eager to learn more and I would like some opinions.
I would take 2 months off and rent a place there.
As culture and religion are important to all of us,I am willing to make the sacrifice etc.
All opinions will be of assistance to me.
Thanks
Wanting to go overseas to teach my kid culture and values etc
grabngo on 29/01/2015 - 21:49
Comments
Here's a tip to anyone reading it don't read first sentence then skip to "As culture and religion are important to all of us,I am willing to make the sacrifice etc."
I was worried for a second.
What country?
What values do you think he would learn there in 2 months rather than the previous 8 years being brought up by you?
It's definitely worth doing. I used to teach at a language school for adults and 95% of my students were Aussie born people in their 20's looking to reconnect with their 'roots'. Much harder to learn a second language from scratch as an adult.
I'm wanting to do the same with my kids. especially so they can meet their distant cousins. I remember travelling back to my ancestral homeland and having a sense of familiarity with the people and the environment.
What religion?
Why does it matter?
I'm just curious, just the same as someone else above asked 'What country?'
It's a nice sentiment, and strongly recommend doing it as my significant other was in the same shoes growing up with immigrant parents and visited the motherland a few times growing up. But for her it was being able to connect to family as she had none other here. Also her parents didn't do it until they were settled here financially.
As far as culture was concerned it just made her realise how good we got it in Oz.
What can u achieve in 2 months? Sacrifice what? Sounds like a holiday to me.
Young minds can learn a lot in that time frame. Keep in mind that days for an 8 year old go for ever.
Dayd for a 30 + year old go too quick :)
Not sure what the sacrifice is?
I've taken my kids to a few international destinations to learn about other cultures too.
good move, even though he won't embrace all of it he would definitely learn something and speaking with people would help him realise cultural differences.
One piece of advice, don't start by throwing him at the deep end. Australian born child will be used to certain creature comforts as essential part of his life. He would also have started to form some little views on his rights,space and morals etc. If you show extreme poverty and people living way below ours living standards, it may put off your son and he would then be counting days to come back home.
If he could make friends with local kids of his age,he will actually enjoy and learn a lot more. Adult view of the world is not always the agreed view of the kids world. Rather than approaching it as a teaching exercise design it as a discovery of your roots. Kids are always surprised to know that their parents were kids, they had friends,and were told off for their mischievous antics.
My to cents. There is no right or wrong answer. In the end if you son enjoyed it, asked you a million questions and wants to do it again,then you know that you have done it right.Two cents.
I think 8 may be too young? I don't know… I'm just imagining myself as an 8 year old and I barely remember anything from that age… but other than that, it's a great idea!
How about you take him for maybe a week now, create a good experience for him, and maybe he'll want to come back when he's old enough to appreciate it?
Only teach him about the religion if he wants to know, and he can choose to believe in it or not.
I hate it when parents force their child to believe in some sort of "god", you believe in something doesn't mean your child has to.
The world is being torn apart by religions.
Good on you for letting him learn his roots. Anyway, I'm not too sure how much he will "embrace" the trip given that he is quite young but he seems quite smart to be so eager. Anyway can't comment much on the overseas trip. However, I would recommend sending him to a weekly language school. Many of my friends used to go learn their "mother tongue" so to speak. Usually it would be on a saturday where they go to a primary or secondary school to learn Italian, Mandarin, etc. They also encourage you to join a club or do the activities specific to that country. Also good as they can do the subject in HSC/VCE and languages gets scaled up heaps. Good luck