Forum hears that raising strong third culture children is important in multicultural UAE

Raising strong third culture children is important in the UAE, a country of more than 200 ethnic groups, heard at a forum in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

‘Parenting: Non-Conference’ at the Etihad Arena discusses the best ways to raise children in the modern world, especially those who have left their home countries to live in A multicultural place like the UAE.

American sociologist Ruth Useem coined the term “third culture child” in the 1950s foreign children A person who spent his childhood abroad.

At the opening, moderated by CNN Editor-in-Chief Becky Anderson, Secretary of State Sarah Al Amiri, bestselling author and psychologist Dr. Shefali Sabari and First Lady of Boswana O’Masisi discusses ways to raise third culture children while maintaining their identities in a globalizing world.

The panel discussed how many children face an identity crisis and the challenges parents experience in helping them value their religion, culture and language while accepting others.

Ms Al Amiri said it was important to talk to children about the world around them, diversity And how that makes this world a special place.

Dr Tsabary said children should not be detached from their own culture, but it was important to celebrate occasions and festivals in other people’s lives.

“In their formative years, children are better connected to their innate identity, it’s like an inner connection, but over the years, due to the external pressures of growing up in a cultural melting pot, They lost that connection,” she said.

“As parents, we face challenges. All of us have been exposed, and we expose our children to so many cultures.

“So on the one hand, we want our kids to be global citizens, but at the same time, we’re a little bit concerned that they’re not part of our culture.

“We like the fact that our kids are really international, but we don’t like it either.”

She said some parents did not allow their children to participate in other people’s celebrations.

“Our children are living in a different era than we are. They are defined in a way we don’t know, and that’s a threat to us. But we have to trust the process,” she said.

Speaking of seven Misunderstandings of Modern Parentingauthor Hal Runkel, said one of them was not allowing children to grow up.

“The world is not completely safe and will never be safe,” he said

“Our anxiety is to wrap them in foam to keep them safe and young for as long as possible.

“That’s not necessarily what our principal said. Instead of letting us keep them safe, should we prioritise making them strong?”

Other mistakes include screaming, over-scheduling, using technology to keep tabs on children and self-sacrifice.

“I want every parent in the world to understand that our job is not to manage their behavior, but to help them learn to manage so they can become responsible adults,” he said.

Organised by the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Education and Knowledge, the event was opened by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office and member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Also present were Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Ministry of Community Development; Sara Awadh Issa Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education and Chairman of the Federal Agency for Early Education, and Dr Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education.

Updated: 11/3/2022 2:49AM