In light of recent events, I started thinking about the lack of exposure to music in my children’s lives. Now, I love music and am always playing something around the house or in the car. But, I would like my children to grow up liking, or at least appreciating a broad range of musical genres from older generations.

For instance, my daughter was a bit bewildered about all the hype regarding Michael Jackson’s death. She understood that he was famous and famous people are on television a lot. But, why did everyone love him so much? All she really knew about him was that “he was that guy who turned into a monster with the yellow eyes.” I realized that I failed to share all my oldies but goodies from him going back to the Jackson 5 days.

The good thing about artists is that their work does live on. I still have time to share his talents with her and hopefully she will see more than just the monster with the yellow eyes (or black man whose skin turned white). I’m also going to take the opportunity to share Miles Davis and Nina Simone, as well as some of my parents’ favorite konpa bands.

Do you think these sort of activities are beneficial? If so, how are you keeping diversity and long established music or cultural arts in your child(ren)’s lives?

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My mother recently asked that I send my six year-old daughter to spend the summer with her in Haiti. Now, this is a huge request under any circumstances, as I have not yet become comfortable with extended separation from my children (I’m told it gets easier with time). But, knowing how much she misses her grandmother, I gave the request a lot of consideration.

I know that spending the summers in Haiti growing up helped keep my connection to a place that I could have easily forgotten. If not for those summers, I would have missed out on time spent with my family members; some of whom are no longer with us. Those summers also taught me a great deal about the culture and social norms.

So, of course, I began thinking that a summer there would provide the same benefits to my daughter. Then it hit me – things are not like they were when I was a child (this is a phrase I told my mother I would never say because it always sounded close-minded coming from her ).

For instance, children no longer play the skillful games of osle or marbles. They no longer get dressed up on Sunday afternoons – just because. They also don’t jump rope at night when it was just the right temperature. Instead, afternoon games have been replaced with telenovelas and music videos. And Sundays, well they’re just Sundays.

So, indeed, times they are a changin! Can you relate to this, or am I getting old ? Am I wrong to lack enthusiasm over exposing my daughter to the evolved culture just because it’s different from my experience?

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