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Welcome!
We live in a culturally-rich community in the San Francisco
Bay Area! As parents, we recognize the importance of teaching our children
cultural differences and how to communicate with others that may have very
different value systems from our own. When it comes to hiring nannies, many
have chosen caregivers born and raised in a non-Western culture. This
newsletter focuses on some of the cultural differences in child rearing that
can come up in the everyday routines of feeding, sleeping and playing. It
provides insight into two differing value systems: the importance of the
individual (as valued in Western cultures) vs. the importance of the group (as
valued in non-Western cultures) and how to talk about these differences with
your nanny when they arise.
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Examining Ones Cultural Context in Child Rearing
The culture one is raised in has a profound impact on how one
lives as an adult. Pick any area of life whether it be food preparation,
greeting friends on the street or falling in love and you will find that
culture has a significant impact on how these activities play out. No where is
this more true than in child rearing. In fact parents are often surprised at
how many values they share with their parents as they begin to raise children
of their own. While having a nanny with a different cultural background can
provide a rich environment for the child there is also the possibility of mixed
signals and differing expectations that can cause confusion and frustration for
everyone. It is important to discuss the cultural differences in child rearing
in an open and proactive way. While some of the bigger issues such as how to
respond to a crying child were discussed prior to hiring a caregiver, there are
many more areas that may have been left unsaid. The following article, Child
Care as Shared Socialization, is a starting place for further
discussions. It includes some great questions to ask yourself and your
caregiver such as:
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How independent are children allowed to be?
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What do meal times look like?
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Are there gender specific expectations for children's behavior?
Child Care as Shared Socialization
www.childcareexchange.com
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Could Your Child Grow Up Bilingual?
Having a nanny whose primary language differs from yours is
an opportunity to provide a very rich linguistic environment. With nannies and
parents working together, every child can benefit from a multilingual
environment whether your goal is full bilingualism or just familiarity with
non-English sounds. Here are some tips on how you and your nanny can make
foreign language learning fun.
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Purchase books in the other language. Amazon.com
and multiligualbooks.com
have a large selection of foreign language picture books. Ideally these books
would be in both English and the other language. If a book is not, have your
nanny translate it. Both you and your nanny can read the book to your child in
either language.
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Purchase children's music in the foreign language. If the songs do not have
English equivalents, have your nanny translate the songs for you. Make up
movements to go along with the songs. Putumayo Kids is an excellent collection
of children's songs from all parts of the world.
- Label common objects in your
home with the foreign language. Make a game of naming objects in the language
with your child that you and your nanny can play.
For additional information on raising children in a multilingual care
situation, here are two informative articles on the subject. Bilingual
Acquisition deals with some of the concerns parents might have in
exposing children to a foreign language at an early age. Can Preschool Children
Be Taught a Second Language?
discusses the brain development of young children as it relates to language
acquisition and also provides some tips on how to help your child learn a
second language.
Bilingual Acqusition
www.earlychildhood.com
Can Preschool Children Be Taught a Second Language?
www.earlychildhood.com
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Independence
vs. Interdependence
In Bridging Cultures in Early Care and Education,
Marlene Zepeda, et al show how developing the value of independence vs.
interdependence plays out in a routine social situation such as visiting
friends in someone else's home. While one adult may foster the child's
individual expression to greet friends first another may expect the child to
greet the parents properly first - out of respect - and not to act shamefully
or rudely in another person's home. The full script can be found at
www.alycedes.com
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Research
Spotlight: Globalization and Childcare
In Globalization and Privatization: The Impact on Childcare
Policy and Practice, Michel Vandenbroeck examines the impact of
changes in society on the childcare system in Belgium and other western
European countries. While childcare structures in these countries differ from
our own, the conclusion of Vanderbroeck's paper offers some interesting points
of discussion as we in California consider the Preschool for All proposition.
In his section entitles The Quality Debate (pp. 24), Vanderbroeck
identifies three dilemmas facing the modern childcare system:
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Governmental responsibility verses autonomy,
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Standardization verses diversity
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Inclusion verses exclusion
As we try to define quality in childcare, we will make value judgments in these
three areas. For example, we may choose a highly standardized system that
disregards local cultural preferences because we value consistency of care.
Vanderbroeck identifies three functions of early childcare: economic,
educational, and societal. He urges parents and policy makers to be explicit
about the functions of childcare when making decisions about what is quality
care.
Globalization and Privatization: The Impact on Childcare Policy and
Practice
www.crin.org
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