At the child care center where I work I have a family who recently emigrated from Morocco. First I will research the location of Morocco. Morocco is located in North Africa, to understand the origin. Secondly, I will search the type of government they have which is a constitutional monarchy; this helps me understand the level of power in their country. They have a King in Morocco who holds a lot of power. Thirdly, I would like to be familiar with the language they speak which is either Berber or Moroccan Arabic. Fourthly, I will research the dominant religion which Islamic. Lastly, I will look to see what offends them. For instance, during the month of Ramadan, I never knew it is considered rude to eat and drink in front of them while they are fasting.
My goal in preparing for this family is to make the transition as smooth as possible. I want the family to feel comfortable. I understand many things will be different. The last thing I want to do is offend them. I am aware the smallest thing such as a hand shake can be disrespectful. Hopefully all of my research will make the family feel more relaxed.
You brought up a very good point---learning about what offend the families from other countries. We tend to forget that when we behave naturally in front of them. However, this becomes awkward situation. People would say--if they come to United States, they should not be offended or become upset. United States has its own culture. I think you are right to point out that we need to put extra effort in trying to make sure that we are not behaving in certain ways in their presence.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you have a good plan for learning about the family's culture. I know often times we do not have time to plan ahead for the arrival of the new family, but this sometimes can be a good thing because then we have to build that relationship with the parent so that we can better meet the needs of both the child and his family through a collaborative effort.
ReplyDeleteI think finding out about what offends a family is a great point. We sometimes take little things for granted. Morrocco, sounds interesting and was not aware about the king status and power.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a smooth transisiton for anyone is the best result a family and you as the provider can experience. It allows the family to feel more comfortable and welcome. It also allow them to feel they have made the right decision for childcare.
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