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to people and things that are different.
It will help them acknowledge and embrace diversity.

In order to help our children become more culturally aware, experts say we must take the first step by identifying and addressing our own comfort zones. Some of us are naturally outgoing, ever-seeking the exotic, while others are more comfortable with staying within the parameters of our own cultural backgrounds. Whatever our own social inclinations, the goal here is to teach our children about different cultures and to introduce them to the many ways that people live and why that is. Children are naturally fascinated with similarities and differences between themselves, but the problem starts if those differences are seen as negative. We wouldn't want to cloud our children's judgment by letting them inherit biases, so we should impress upon them that cultural diversity is good and that it adds value to our world. If culture is indeed learnt, then we should let our children learn by example. It doesn't have to be as tricky as it sounds, I put pen to paper and came up with some simple steps that we can take to help our children (and ourselves) become more culturally aware:

At meal time -
Say, what's on the menu? Whether it's aloo gobi, dim sum or pizza, talk about where this recipe, food or its ingredients came from and why you enjoy it so much as a family. Let children help you prepare the ingredients or mash things together. Introduce them to spices and sauces, tastes and textures. Cooking and meal times provide ample opportunities to engage the five senses. You can do the same while you're eating out. As they get older, encourage your children to try new foods and flavours.

While reading a book -
Choose books that have cultural content. Discourage stereotyping by finding books that show people of various ethnic backgrounds in positive roles. Stuck for ideas? How about books that feature homes, families, traditions, holidays, celebrations, clothing or food, whether local or foreign. Highlight the similarities and differences between your culture and those in the books. When pointing out differences, find interesting ways to help them understand the contrasts. Discuss for example, why some people build snowmen and others don't. Keep the discussion light-hearted and fun.

While watching television -
This takes minimal effort! Draw your children's attention to interesting festivals, music, food, clothing and people that appear on the television screen. You're likely to hold

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