Northern Kentucky University

Raising Joey: A Mother's Journal

Institution

Northern Kentucky University

Abstract

It’s almost inevitable. I will someday see the day that I have a child to raise, having to make important decisions for him, providing the best for him, and sacrificing myself for him. Though I may not know exactly when I will see this day, it is approaching faster than I can imagine and the only thing I can do for it now is research important decisions I may have to make for this little one from infancy on that will affect him for his entire life. However, because of experiences in my own life, some of these decisions are outside the realm of many that most American parents choose to make. In a monolingual culture that prides itself on its fast-paced technological advancements, it is easy to get caught up in the greatness of everything this country has to offer. However, after a lifetime watching children close to me grow and develop and a year in Germany, my eyes were opened to many differences in youth culture and varying decisions parents have to make for their children. In my project, I raised my ideal child in two different cultures at different stages of his life and touched on issues that would prove important throughout, such as bilingualism, education, and the availability of technology to him, while briefly touching on issues that parents face on a regular basis regardless of location, age, or culture, such as peer pressure, family time, and involvement in extra-curricular activities.

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Raising Joey: A Mother's Journal

It’s almost inevitable. I will someday see the day that I have a child to raise, having to make important decisions for him, providing the best for him, and sacrificing myself for him. Though I may not know exactly when I will see this day, it is approaching faster than I can imagine and the only thing I can do for it now is research important decisions I may have to make for this little one from infancy on that will affect him for his entire life. However, because of experiences in my own life, some of these decisions are outside the realm of many that most American parents choose to make. In a monolingual culture that prides itself on its fast-paced technological advancements, it is easy to get caught up in the greatness of everything this country has to offer. However, after a lifetime watching children close to me grow and develop and a year in Germany, my eyes were opened to many differences in youth culture and varying decisions parents have to make for their children. In my project, I raised my ideal child in two different cultures at different stages of his life and touched on issues that would prove important throughout, such as bilingualism, education, and the availability of technology to him, while briefly touching on issues that parents face on a regular basis regardless of location, age, or culture, such as peer pressure, family time, and involvement in extra-curricular activities.