Raising a global child

So what does being a mom entail these days? “Added to teaching children social skills, we also have to prepare them for life in a global society and economy and equip them with the skills to make that a success,” she highlighted.

“Bringing up a child in a different country is a major challenge because you’re always caught between cultures,” she pointed out. These days parents not only feel they have to read up on child development in general but living abroad also means having to re-evaluate almost every aspect of parenting and what that entails, with some surprising outcomes. The most obvious hurdle is language, and it turns out that there’s more than one benefit if children learn a second one when they’re young. “There are many different opinions about whether it’s even a good idea for young children to learn more than one language,” Corinna explained, adding: “In Germany many people believe it’s too much for them to cope with. I disagree: I believe it’s the best gift I can give him. People need to speak more than one language to survive in the job market these days, and in the future, it will be even more competitive.”

“Benito could say mummy, daddy and dog before he could walk and instead of that being a problem, it’s really helped his cognitive development,” Corinna emphasized, adding: “The annual check up for kids in Germany includes a physical exam and a test of their understanding, hearing and motor skills. Benito has passed all of them very easily as well as those for older kids. His pediatrician wasn’t at all surprised as he’s noticed that children from multicultural backgrounds who learn at least two languages when they’re small develop much faster than other children. Learning more than one language means that their brains have to work much more. From birth to the age of 3, the brain creates many more synapses than it needs; those that are used a lot become a permanent part of the brain, and those that aren’t get eliminated. That will also help him when he’s an adult.”

Education: a big concern

Another concern for all parents is education. Corinna -- like all expat mothers -- has spent a lot of time comparing and contrasting what’s on offer abroad and at home and making decisions about what’s really important. “Turkish and German attitudes to education and when to start are very different,” Corinna pointed out, adding: “In Germany the emphasis is on child development, so outside the home there are lots of activities for babies and toddlers, such as swimming, sports or music lessons. In Turkey that’s just starting, and most activities for children here start when they’re 6, at primary school. I’ve noticed that there’s also a difference in what children do at home: in Germany, it’s quite normal for kids to do arts and crafts, but when the neighbors’ children come to visit, it obvious that that’s something new for them.”

Benito is in his final year of nursery school. As there are so many preschools in Antalya, why did Corinna and her husband choose to send him to the International Children’s Club of Antalya (ICCA)? “Firstly, it’s very important for Benito to have a more international education, and we also realized that it would be a great opportunity for Benito to learn English. Even if there had been a German nursery school in Antalya, I would still have sent him to the English-language one. We speak German at home, so his German is already very good, as is his Turkish, and three languages are better than two.” Her friends in Germany, however, are worried about Benito going to school here as Turkish diplomas aren’t accepted in Germany; they think that might be a disadvantage for him in the future.

So what are the pluses of a child experiencing two different cultures? “The first one that comes to mind is the effect it has on a child’s personal development,” Corinna emphasized, adding: “Benito is more open-minded than children who live in one place with parents from the same culture. As he’s traveled with us since he was born, he’s developed an awareness of and interest in different countries and cultures. He’s already aware of how people are different and how that can be positive. He has lots of friends from different countries, and so he’s learning about different cultures and traditions first-hand. He’s not prejudiced; he doesn’t care where people come from, which language they speak or what they believe in. Added to that, he’s also very curious about the world in general. He’s always asking questions and expects detailed answers. When he was 3 -- I think that’s quite early -- he got interested in encyclopedias and books which explain how things work. Above all, he isn’t afraid to explore new things.”

A sense of identity

A thorny issue for parents bringing up children abroad is that of a child’s sense of identity; needless to say that’s not a problem for Corinna. “Benito is aware that his mom and dad come from different countries. If we ask him what nationality he is, he replies: ‘I’m half Turkish and half German.’ My husband was born in and grew up in Germany, so he’s used to German culture. However, when Benito was born my husband’s family was a bit afraid I’d only teach him about German culture. Their priority is for him to speak Turkish and for him to know about Turkish traditions rather than for him to be comfortable with both cultures and be able to switch between both languages. They have no need to worry though: at home we celebrate both Turkish and German traditions. It’s important to both me and my husband that Benito grows up into a tolerant adult who realizes that differences between people and culture are an opportunity to enrich his life,” she pointed out.