As the holidays approach, my wife and I have been talking about how to help Miles begin to navigate the cultural differences of the season. Living in Chicago affords us the opportunity to expose him firsthand to other cultures in a way that wouldn't happen in a monochromatic city, and we want to take full advantage.

Kids tend to be notorious about pointing out truths in a way that makes everyone in the room (especially their parents) uncomfortable http://www.raildresses.net/prom-dresses.html - prom dresses short . As Miles's language skills develop, he's like a time bomb of embarrassment waiting to go off http://www.raildresses.net/flower-girl-dresses.html - satin flower girl dress .

I'd love to hear some ways that you've successfully exposed your kids to different holiday traditions. http://www.bridalstores2013.com/DRESS20823-beauty.html">
How do you instill a sense of appreciation for your cultural heritage in your kids? Do you find it difficult to navigate cultural conversations with your kids around the holiday season http://www.speeddresses.com - prom dresses under 100 ?

From that place, coupled with an instilled sense of respect for other traditions, he should be better equipped to handle the kinds of intercultural conversations that are inevitable around this time of year. This will lead to healthier relationships with his friends http://www.speeddresses.com/Wedding-Gloves.html - wedding glove , coworkers, and his own background.

Of course, how to actually do that is where it gets difficult. Luckily we expect Miles to go to a school that has a very diverse student body, so that should help him gain exposure to plenty of different ways to celebrate the holiday season http://www.cropdresses.net/Tea-Length-Mother-of-the-Bride-Dresses.html - wedding tea length dresses . Hopefully there will be opportunities to invite his fellow students over to our place to witness how we celebrate Christmas, and vice versa http://www.cropdresses.net/EVENING-DRESSES.html - evening dresses for women .

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Beyond that http://www.raildresses.net/prom-dresses.html - cheap prom dresses 2013 , I'd love to take Miles to different places of worship around the city and show him the diversity of experiences within just one city http://www.cropdresses.net/FLOWER-GIRL-DRESSES.html - cheap flower girl dress . It's one thing to learn about them in books; they're much more intriguing to experience firsthand http://www.raildresses.net/wedding-dresses-sweetheart-wedding-dresses.html - sweetheart gowns . I've been fortunate enough to do that myself on more than one occasion.

Caleb Gardner is an amateur father and husband who writes at and dabbles in photography, design, and music. When listening to the cacophony of modern-day America, Caleb prefers a side of Scotch. He calls Chicago home http://www.raildresses.net - prom dresses 2013 , and in winter, less-nice things.

As Miles's understanding of relational filters grows, we want to encourage him to explore his childlike curiosity of other cultures. We want Miles to understand and appreciate other traditions, and I think that starts by fully appreciating his own. http://www.bridalstores2013.com/DRESS76961-beauty.html">
So far we've been very intentional about what traditions from our own families of origin we've decided to continue, so as Miles grows, he can learn about each of them. Both as a religious and a cultural tradition http://www.speeddresses.com/Wedding-Shoes.html - silver bridal shoes , Christmas is rich in symbolism, and we want Miles to appreciate it as his heritage.