PARENTING Cultural Exchange

WE ARE LUCKY TO LIVE IN A TIME WHEN WE CAN CHERRY-PICK THE BEST PRACTICES FROM VARIOUS CULTURES TO CREATE OUR IDEAL LIFE. WHAT BETTER AREA TO APPLY THIS TO THAN PARENTING? READ ON FOR THE BEST PARENTING HABITS THAT INDIANS AND AMERICANS CAN EXCHANGE WITH EACH OTHER!

- PRIYANKA ACHARYA

The defining narrative of my life is that I straddle two cultures. As a first generation American, I thumbed my nose at my parents' attempts to make me embrace their culture, refusing Bharatanatyam and Carnatic singing classes, and making friends mostly with my white peers in spite of the huge number of Indians at my school. That is why it shocked everyone when I ended up marrying an Indian boy and settling down in Chennai at 22 years old, with no plans of ever moving back to the States. And while I had the chance to meet other expats through various groups here, I have only made lasting friendships with born and bred Indians, greatly relying on their guidance to assimilate into my new home.

However, the blessed internet allowed me to stay in touch with American. culture, which led me to constantly compare and contrast it with Indian societal norms. These comparisons reached a fever pitch when I became a parent, with my older sister urging me to follow American parenting styles while my new friends did things the Indian way. I ended up trying both, doing whatever it took to stay relatively sane, and now that I've been a parent for ten years, I can identify which are the smartest aspects of Western and Eastern child-rearing. I hereby give you my opinion on the most worthwhile cultural exchange of parenting practices: