Culture is the foundation or genesis of every human. In the olden days, parents have an inherent desire to pass down their cultural heritage to the next generation. For this prompt, the question is how much of your culture should be passed to your children? To answer this question isn't a simple one, a balance must be reached between preserving the culture and allowing adaptability.
If I'm to support passing down culture to one's offspring or the next generation, it is one of the great things to do. It helps children develop a sense of belonging. It teaches them where they come from, instills pride, and connects them with their ancestors. This is one beautiful thing I love about my culture. Yoruba teaches so much about upholding cultural heritage, and quite a good percentage of parents try their best to instill the learning and understanding of the Yoruba culture into their children. There are several ways in which one's culture can be taught to children. Ways such as traditional foods, traditional attire, music, moral values, and folk tales. These are all powerful tools that can ground children in a world that is constantly changing.
Looking at this from another perspective, children of this present generation are growing up in a highly globalized and digital world where cultural values and morals are diminishing daily. Due to this, not every aspect of a culture may be relevant or beneficial to the children, but the good ones that cannot be overemphasized should be maximized, such as ways of greeting. In Yoruba, it is expected of a well-cultured Yoruba lady to kneel with both knees to greet her elders while the man would prostrate as a sign of respect, but in today's world, we see several children calling their parents by their names, all because the foreign culture agreed to it.
Some cultural practices may be outdated while some family still want to practice them as a sign of upholding their heritage and honoring their ancestors. Some are discriminatory as well as harmful and should be discarded. For instance, certain rites before or after marriage or childbirth may be dangerous to both the mother and the child and might as well be against human rights or modern ethical standards. In cases like this, parents should critically assess what should be preserved or evolved and what should be discarded. Also when families live in multicultural or foreign environments, children may easily absorb other cultural inferences. I have three cousins in the United States of America. The second and the last child didn't understand Yoruba and likewise couldn't speak. They came to Nigeria with their parents two years ago, and I couldn't help but be amazed at the drama the last child performed. She got angry at her parents because they asked her to dress up quickly for a hangout as she was delaying the rest of us. She told her parents they were nagging and disturbing her mental health. I was surprised because here in Nigeria, especially in a typical Yoruba family, you dare not say your parents are nagging. Before you finish the statement, a brain-resetting slap would have landed on such a child's cheek.
She was venting her anger and her dad still went ahead to persuade her to follow us. Throughout the hangout, she was moody and gave different attitudes. I looked at my mom and shook my head because I know, no child dares try that in my house. On getting home, my mom told my younger siblings that if any one of them tried to put up such an attitude, he or she would have his or herself to blame. I couldn't blame the girl or her parents because such an attitude to one's parents is acceptable where they are living unlike where I live. Rather than resisting this, parents can teach their children to embrace diversity while staying rooted in their heritage. This blend creates well-rounded individuals who respect others yet remain proud of their roots. All in all, parents should aim to pass on the core values and practices of their culture that promote identity, respect, and wisdom while leaving room for change and growth. Culture is not static; it changes with time, so therefore, what will pass to our children should be meaningful, enriching, and relevant to their present and future lives.
Thanks for your time and your comments will be appreciated.