Cultural and Historical Rite of Passage

Teach your kids about family culture and history, so they could build a sense of identity and tradition. Here are some hints to help in kid’s cultural transition from childhood to adulthood.

• Help your child learn about whats happening in your country of origin
• Help your child learn about cultural rituals, ceremonies and tradition
• Help your child learn about your cultural food
• Bilingual parents should speak / read to your child in both languages
• Share stories about cultural heros
• Help you child develop / maintain circles of interdependence
• Trace with your child the origins of his / her name
• Organize and participate in family gatherings

Physical & Mental Transition from childhood to adulthood (Notes from April 1, 2010)

Physical Transition

• Teach your kids about nutrition, develop healthy eating habits and show the kids “How to prepare food”. Here are some example of how
• Model by eating healthy together with kids
• Identify with kids the food group and nutrition
• Help maintain personal Hygiene (physical and dental health)
• Encourage bathing rituals as a way to “chill Out”
• Visit dentists and doctors before problems occur
• Help child develop exercise routine
• Discuss with your child roles of exercise and rest
• Establish an exercise routine
• Help your child develop sexually responsible behavior
• Answer questions about sexuality openly and honestly
• With older child, discuss birth control methods, AIDs-HIV etc
• Discuss appropriate behaviors with opposite sex
• Help your child learn How to avoid drugs, alcohol & tobacco.
• Learn and discuss with your child the effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco on the body

Mental Transition

• Tell the value of high achievement and help the kid attend school
• Model reading and read to your child
• Stress the importance of education
• establish regular homework study time
• help you child develop the abilities of How to study, take tests and use the library
• Help you child manage the stress of school
• Help your child’s creative as well as thinking abilities
• Give free time to develop creative interests
• Help your child develop proficiency in reading, math, science and computer technology
• Help develop solution building skills
• use problem solving skills with your child
• read the postal mails with your kids