How Parent and Family Coaches Can Help Migrating Families Navigate the Challenges of Cross-cultural Perspectives in Parenting Practices and Child Development

I start today’s article with the report in a recent survey from PEW reveals that about 45% of Nigeria’s adult population plans to relocate to another country within five years. In another recent survey by the UK government shows that 13, 609 Nigerian healthcare workers granted working visas within the last one year (2021) are second only to 42, 966 from India. According to the UK Immigration report released as at the time this data was captured by Dakuku Peterside in Premium Times in October 3rd, 2022. There are other many surveys pointing to the fact of the influx of adult Nigerians into the western world, but I will stay with the above data to support my paper. 

These adult Nigerians have families they will to take along, their children and spouses. The concern and my focus is the fate of culture shock in many cases that awaits the children in the country they are migrating to, so, the purpose of this article is to shed light on the variations in parenting approaches, cultural influences, and the resulting implications for children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development.

Cross-cultural perspectives in raising children in today’s world

I am writing on cross-cultural perspectives on parenting practices and its impact on child development with a view to sensitize parent coaches on how to help families who will like to relocated abroad on seamless parenting when facing culture shock in their country of destination. 

Lots of research works I have engaged here with a handful of research synthesizes and findings from various regions, examining both similarities and differences in parenting styles to provide a robust understanding of the global dynamics shaping children’s growth and well-being.

One of the scholars who have done extensive research in this regard is Barbara Rogoff. Barbara Rogoff is a prominent scholar in the fields of cultural psychology and child development. She has made significant contributions to our understanding of how culture influences cognitive development, particularly through her extensive observational studies conducted in diverse cultural contexts.

Rogoff’s work emphasizes the importance of considering cultural factors when examining children’s cognitive development. She argues that cognitive processes are not universal but are shaped by the cultural practices and social interactions in which children participate. Through her research, Rogoff has highlighted the diversity of cognitive strategies and problem-solving techniques employed by children across different cultures.

One of Rogoff’s notable contributions is her concept of “guided participation,” which emphasizes the role of more knowledgeable individuals, such as parents or older siblings, in scaffolding children’s learning within cultural contexts. She suggests that children learn through active engagement in culturally relevant activities, with guidance and support from more experienced members of their community.

Rogoff’s work has practical implications for education and child-rearing practices, emphasizing the importance of incorporating cultural perspectives into educational programs and parenting strategies. By understanding how culture shapes cognitive development, educators and parents can better support children’s learning and development.

The specific year of her work on cross-cultural perspectives and child development can vary, as Rogoff has published numerous articles and books over several decades. However, her research in this area has been ongoing since the late 20th century and continues to be influential in the field of developmental psychology.

So, we can infer that in our increasingly interconnected world, raising children in cross-cultural environments has become a prevalent and enriching experience for many families. This comprehensive exploration delves into the multifaceted aspects of cross-cultural parenting, examining the challenges, benefits, and strategies that shape the upbringing of children in diverse cultural contexts. The world as it is, is not only battling with the ever – growing population but also with the increasing multi – cultural dimensions in nature. We have 195 countries in the world, the total number of different languages spoken is impressive, according to the Ethnologue guide, there are 7,139 officially known languages. This is just hypothetical, as there are some languages in specific unexplored part of the world. What this means is that, many families will want to choose any part of the world to seek greener pasture and by doing so they will encounter different culture and tradition. How prepared are they and the children to face these myriads of challenges.?  

We cannot be talking about the richness of Cross-cultural parenting with its attendant and opportunities without pointing to its own set of unique challenges as Rogoff posited. On this premise, I suggest the following intervention for parenting coaches to tackle the challenges that the migrating parents and families may encounter in 2024 and beyond

1. Solving the problem of identity struggles. I had earlier written about identity struggles with our children in foreign lands, balancing different cultural influences can lead to questions of self-identity and a desire to fit into societal expectations from various cultural standpoints. Presently there are some families who are in need of your consulting who are facing the challenge of cultural conflicts. They have seen their children in conflict with their peers in schools, they have experienced culture shock, and many of their children are not as it were taught anger management responded in crude manners to the culture shock and subsequently earned some measures of punishment from the management of the school. These children always feel bad.
2. There is challenge of language. This an is another inherent challenge of cross – cultural parenting. In communities with multiple languages, children may grapple with language challenges. Fluency in multiple languages is an asset, but it can also pose difficulties in effective communication and language preference.
3. Disparity in educational system is a challenge. From practice, we have seen that some educational systems may not always cater for the needs of children in cross-cultural communities. Lack of understanding of the innate learning style of children in some cases or cultural sensitivity in educational materials and approaches may pose challenges for children trying to navigate their academic journeys.

4. The challenge of the children forgetting their rich ancestry is real. The need for parent coaches to provide intervention in this regard is needed. What I have seen so far is the palpable of a family governing system that encourages families to track and preserve their rich ancestry

Cross-cultural parenting is a dynamic journey that unfolds uniquely in diverse regions of the world, such as Africa and Europe. While both continents boast rich cultural textiles, the tones of raising children in cross-cultural environments reveal distinct challenges and approaches; Having taking into consideration above interventions, a foundation is thus laid for the following benefits to the migrating families and parents through the help and support of Parenting and Family Coaches on they can navigate the inherent challenges and perspectives of parenting in cross cultural world. 

1. Institution of family governing system will help the migrating families and parents to have a formidable family system structure that will enable them to track and preserve their rich cultural heritage. This will also address the issue of identity crisis in the children. We have seen many African children in the abroad who never want to have anything to do with their ancestry; some have sold off their father’s properties and businesses.
2. The cultural adaptation and integration will produce sound cultural awareness. The knowledge from parent coaches will educate migrating parents about the new culture; new norms, values, and customs that will help them and the children adapt more smoothly. This will enhance their psychological well-being and social competence.
3. We live in a society where there is dearth of parenting skills for parents across sectors to grow with but with the intervention of parents coaches will enhance parenting skills needed by migrating parents to equip themselves and the children with. The parents here will gain positive parenting practices and conflict resolution expertise. This will bring effective parenting strategies that are culturally appropriate and effective in the new environment. Also, training in conflict resolution techniques helps parents manage and resolve family conflicts that may arise due to cultural differences.
4. Every decision any parent must make must be in the best interest of the child. The job of parents coaches is child focus, hence the need to seek children’s development and well-being. This will bring healthy development that will ensure that parenting practices support emotional and social development of children in a cross cultural environment. The resilience to cope with the challenges of migration and cultural adjustment is key in this regard.

The interventions of parents coaches to setting up a quality family governing system for migrating parents can significantly ease the transition in a cross cultural environment. The application will build a supportive experience that enhances the well-being of both parents and children and the benefits will also contribute to the successful integration of migrant families into their new cultural settings with a view to promoting stability and resilience and keep the dignity of our precious children. 

---

 

Akinropo Akinola is the visionary founder of Parenmark Consulting, a pioneering parenting and fatherhood initiative based in Lagos, Nigeria. As a leader in private field research, Akinola is driven by a passion to revolutionize the art of parenting and nurturing African children. Through Parenmark Consulting, he is dedicated to enhancing the quality of parenting and family life by providing expert education and guidance for Parenting and Family Life coaches across Nigeria and Africa.