As we celebrate Mother’s Day today in Mexico, and next Sunday in the US, Canada, other Latin-American countries and Europe, I wanted to take a moment to express gratitude to my mom for instilling in me a love for culture.
Growing up, my mom pushed for me and my brothers to absorb everything about the new cultures that surrounded us, including things like their languages, lifestyles, and even new cuisines, all the while making sure we remembered our Mexican-Nicaraguan roots with pride. Today, I know that this was the key to open a whole new world of opportunities for me and my family.
How many classes are too many?
Because of my father’s work, we moved around a lot. All the while, my mom was pushing for us to learn a second language, do well in school, learn the piano, dance lessons… this wasn’t an easy job for any parent. The thing is, she knew that now was the most important moment to make sure we were learning, seeing how elastic children’s brains are at that age.
Her dedication and patience made it possible for me and my siblings to learn many new skills. But the most important one was persistence.
While she was also adapting to her personal lifestyle changes, she worked hard for us too. She made sure we got into the best schools when we moved, made sure we had some tutoring in the different subjects that needed some extra motivation. She never gave up on us, even when we struggled. I guess you can say that these were my first lessons in change management.
But her insistence didn’t finish stop at school. She was also interested in giving us a deeper understanding of different cultures, cuisine, arts, and lifestyles from new places. She motivated us to always appreciate the new and different, broadening our perspectives.
As I wrote in my “Working with Global Leaders Children” blog back in June about Third Culture Kids, I know now it’s not a piece of cake to be a mom of a TCK (1). As many parents know, just changing schools is not an easy task.
Claro que yes, Mom!
Thanks to her efforts, I am 100% bilingual. This has opened doors for me both personally and professionally. I have been able to travel to different countries, make and keep friends from all over the world, and easily work with people from diverse backgrounds.
In today’s globalized world, knowing more than one language has become a vital skill. It not only helps us to communicate with people from different cultures. It also enhances our cognitive abilities, improves our memory, helps maintain brain structure, prevents cognitive decline, and boosts our creativity (2).
Make the best of being a Mom
How can parents assure their children receive a valuable and broad cultural education from a young age? I recommend you give them the example of being curious. Share with them your love of reading or travel, let them experience the local, regional, and global world that’s within your reach.
You don’t necessarily need a plane ticket to see other cultures, just use Netflix, YouTube, or simply go on the internet and find new things. It’s also important seek out diverse people from different cultural backgrounds to discover new perspectives and learn from new experiences. Let them ask questions, be open-minded, and always avoid making assumptions about others.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!
Today, I want to say thank you to my mom for showing me the world beyond one culture: her culture, my dad’s culture, the best friend’s culture. I encourage everyone to take the time to appreciate and thank their moms for the sacrifices they have made. It’s important that we appreciate the opportunities they have given us.
Further reading:
- Pollock, D. C., & VanReken, R. E. (2001). Third culture kids: The experience of growing up among worlds. London, UK: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
- Wichmann, A. (2022). How Being Bilingual Affects Your Brain – The Greek Reporter. Extracted from: https://greekreporter.com/2022/07/28/bilingual-brain/
