Welcome to day two of this special series from 60+ bloggers from the Kid Blogger Network, all focused on exploring child-related topics from A-Z!

Our focus is on the ABC’s of Raising A World Citizen, all about raising a child at home in the world, from language learning, books, and geography games, to talking about race and appreciating diversity!

For a list of all of the posts in the ABC’s of Raising a World Citizen, you can visit our main page.  For a full list of the blogs in this series, go to the ABC’s of… Main Page.

“Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind.” – Bahá’u’lláh

F is for…Family

Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes

As with so many things in life, family can be a key ingredient in raising a world citizen.  The love they share with your child can be that extra push your child needs to learn about your own family’s heritage, giving your child a solid foundation from which to explore the rest of the world.  Here is a wonderful testimony from Frances at Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes about the importance of family and embracing your roots.

If you have family that live abroad or have connections in other parts of the world, they can also help spark a child’s interest in other places and give them an intimate view of other cultures, as we discovered in our recent trip to visit family in Costa Rica.

Of course, family is also tricky, and sometimes can be as much a hindrance as a help when it comes to supporting your child-rearing decisions, including raising your child to be more globally oriented.  Here are some tips to work with family that may find themselves feeling conflicted or left out if you are raising your children differently than how you were raised.

G is for…Geography

KC Edventures

Being at home in the world includes knowing more about the world itself, making geography incredibly important.

One simple but powerful way to help orient kids is to keep a map handy, as discussed by KC Edventures.  For older kids, you can also play these fun geography board games discussed by Kid World Citizen.

But maps are just a start, as discussed by Kid World Citizen, who also has great ideas for activities to increase geo-literacy in young children.

H is for…Heritage

As discussed above, grounding children in their own heritage helps give them a solid foundation from which to explore other cultures.  Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes shares some great tips for teaching children about their heritage and why it is so important.

Connecting Family and Seoul

Kid World Citizen has advice specifically for parents who have adopted across cultural lines, although her ideas could be used by any parents who want to help their children connect to their heritage.  Another adoptive parent, Connecting Family & Seoul, shares how they have helped nurture their son’s appreciation of his birth culture, including how they have used literature as a way to explore his Korean heritage.

I is for…Internet

When coming up with ideas to use with your little world citizen, there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel.  There are so many great resources available, my main problem is having enough time to explore them all!  Here are some of our favorite go-to sources for multicultural fun:

The Educators’ Spin On It

• Raising World Citizens Resource Page
• Multicultural Kid Blogs on Facebook and Pinterest
• Top Global Pinterest Boards (the Educators’ Spin On It)
• Pinterest boards by continent from Delightful Children’s Books

J is for…Joy

It’s important to remember to keep it fun, or else you might meet some resistance from your kids.  As author and activist Homa Sabet Tavanger noted in our recent interview on the Enable Me to Grow website, it’s important not to have “such an agenda around global experiences that your kids will flee to their friends’ houses.”

Instead, try to incorporate games and other fun activities, such this book-based activity we did with our son, or Connecting Family and Seoul’s method of teaching their son about his heritage through folktales.  And best of all, check out these Spanish-language jokes for kids from Spanish Playground!

Stay tuned for more games and crafts on “P is for Play” on Thursday!

A big thank you to all the bloggers who let us share their posts and pictures here!

ABC’s of…Mom Tips and Tricks

Check out these other great ABC’s series from the bloggers of the Kid Blogger Network:

• Being a Hands on Mom from hands on : as we grow
• Connecting with your Kids from One Perfect Day
• Family Field Trips with Kids from Edventures with Kids
• Fun Healthy Snacks for Kids from Juggling with Kids
• Kids Party Ideas from Mama Pea Pod
• Mama Survival from The Dizzy Mom
• Organized Home from Mamas Like Me
• Printables from Mama Miss
• Raising Boys from Boy Mama Teacher Mama
• Raising Eco-Friendly Kids from Kitchen Counter Chronicles
• Raising Girls from Mess for Less
• Raising a Healthy Kid from Living Life Intentionally
• Raising a Thinking Child from The Outlaw Mom
• Raising Toddlers from Home Learning Journey
• Raising a World Citizen from All Done Monkey
• Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family from Inspired by Family Magazine
• Teaching Kids about Money from Carrots are Orange
• The Family Dinner Table from Connecting Family & Seoul
• Trying A New Experience with Your Children from 52 Brand New
• Values for Children from True Aim Education

For a full list of the ABC’s topics from the Kid Blogger Network, including School Activities, Learning Through Play, Literacy, and Arts and Crafts, go to the main ABC’s Series page or click on the image to the left.