This morning, on St. Patrick’s Day, I scoured my closet for something green to wear.
“Why Mama?” my daughter asked.
“Because it’s St. Paddy’s Day and I’m a wee bit Irish,” I said, trying my best at speaking with an Irish Brogue.
“I don’t want you to be Irish,” she said, a little bit freaked out by my new accent.
Actually, I’m not really sure that we’re a little bit Irish, though I am told we might be that along with a little German. And a little Polish. And a little bit Scottish. And….oh, well, we’re just about a little bit of all of Europe, probably. Like many Americans now, we’re a little bit of what seems like everything.
Children are so wonderfully observant. They notice everything. In a store recently, I heard a child comment that the nice woman helping us had “chocolate-colored skin.” My own daughter took notice too.
“There are many different types of skin,” I told her. I held out my arm next to hers. “See. I have freckles, and you don’t.” I told her it was just like eye color or hair. Mine is darker than hers and everybody’s is a little different.
Children’s television shows and books seem to do a good job these days of incorporating characters with different backgrounds and cultures. For decades now, Sesame Street has led the way in introducing kids to different cultures and ethnicities and teaching kids that while people look different, we’re all the same in many ways on the inside.
There’s a fun way to teach children ages 5 to 10 about different parts of the world without leaving home. It’s called Little Passports and each month your child will learn about a different country’s geography, history, culture, and language in a fun way. The first month, they receive an “Explorer’s Kit” which includes a suitcase, passport, map, stickers and activity sheet. Every month the characters Sam and Sofia will send them a letter along with “souvenirs” from another country, such as a CD, postcard, puzzle or other learning activities. You can get a year’s subscription for only about $11/month. Check out their free trial here. I know I would have loved this as a child. I liked travel, but rarely made it any farther than Wisconsin! To learn more, visit LittlePassports.com.
As for my family, someday I’ll explain to my daughter exactly where her ancestors came from, or where we think most of them came from. And as for being Irish?—I’ll tell her that when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day, anyone can be a little bit Irish, if they want to be. But I think I’ll skip the brogue.
