Why It's Important For Your Child To See The World
Uncover the warrior within your child.
Many of you don’t know this but, I’ve lived in 2 other countries.
After graduating from art school in 2010, I had a desire to do something different with my life. I wanted to get out there and explore.
I was 20 years old when I first lived abroad.
For 365 days, I relocated to Chiang Mai Thailand as a humanitarian / missionary under an international church organisation.
2012: Gathered with a group of village kids I met every week to teach the English language
Fast forward 10 years. I did something similar, but this time with higher stakes.
In Dec 2021, I uprooted my family and relocated to Fukuoka City, Japan.
For another 365+ days, Mathieu and I lived a life on the edge. Quite literally. We settled into a cozy little two-story beach house by Hakata Bay. Busan (Korea) was just a three-hour ferry ride.
June 2022: sunset views just next to our home, overlooking Hakata Bay. Photo by @mathieubeth.
But to do all that, we had to sacrifice some things. Mathieu quit his day job, we shelved Gosh! Kids and brought our newborn into a city that was rampant with Coronavirus.
Nothing screams crazier than that.
And the most insane thing was, we did it for a group of strangers we’ve yet met.
For the entire 2022, we spent our lives as a new family on a half-sabbatical, half community-building programme.
Dec 2022: Mathieu and I holding a Christmas community event for local Japanese families
Turns out, this was the best decision of my life.
Now, I'm thinking why your kids should see more of the world.
Singapore, Chiang Mai, Fukuoka City…anymore?
After Mathieu and I became parents in 2021 and experienced whatever we did in Japan, we realised that our responsibility as parents was not to turn our son into an obedient child.
Neither was it to keep him safe away from all danger, seen or unseen.
Don’t get me wrong. I could only wish for success, safety and happiness for my child, as any parent would.
But as I experienced what life was outside our glorious nation, I began to develop this one personal desire for him.
To live for a purpose.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the most frightening thing a parent could ever experience in their life (& how to avoid it). You could say that my experiences abroad was the inspiration for that.
My interactions with the local Japanese community brought an added purpose to my life. While Maxime was too young to comprehend his experiences, I wanted him to taste life beyond what was familiar, or at least, witness what his daddy and mommy were doing.
Building new relationships, organising community events that bonds families, curating activities for kids... just a summary of what we were busy with. These things brought about a strange, yet powerful sense of purpose in my life.
I’m not saying that we can’t live for a purpose in our home country. What we did in Japan, we could have also done the same at home.
There’s a lot more to uncover out there. 30 years ago, this may have been alright. But if you want your children to make sense of the world they're living in and expand their horizons, they must get out there.
Transform into a global citizen in this 21st century. I'll explain more in a bit.
Experience the opposite.
Distancing ourselves away from the distractions at home, we found answers to our:
family values
life purpose
career goals
"You mean for the last 30 years, you never knew?"
Yeah well, sort-of, I wasn’t sure. But this time, I was certain because I shut off all the noise in my head and focused on what truly matters.
Positioning myself in a new environment, I could think clearly.
No opinions, no distractions, no socio-cultural expectations to weigh me down. Just a 100%, undivided attention for my family and I to pursue what we set out to do for the year.
The truth is, not every family has the opportunity to uproot in such a manner. Good thing is, it doesn’t have to be that extensive. It could be a short school trip over the holidays, a university exchange programme, an intentional family vacation.
My point is, your child needs to get out of their zones of familiarity and experience the opposite - unfamiliarity. Don't hold them back, let them explore the world for what it is.
3 reasons why this could be important:
✅ by experiencing different cultures, talents and cuisines, your child can understand what “excellence” truly means and aim higher in their own lives.
✅ exposure to the diversity of the world can help your child better understand their own strengths and value, while also developing empathy towards others.
✅ exploring the world can help your child become more self-aware and humble, as they gain a greater appreciation for their own privileges and shortcomings.
Having a well rounded world-view is better than having a flat one. Because you’ll never know when you’ll fall off the earth.
Bad joke. But I think you get it :)
You’re only as good as your measuring stick.
Your children can extend their measuring sticks for what they consider to be excellence. Comparing yourself to what’s familiar will only breed a limited idea of what is sufficient.
There’s always a better way of doing things.
Think about the Japanese. They are known for their remarkable (and eccentric) systems of innovation and experience. Smart toilet bidets (thank God for warm seats), Seafood-flavoured Kit Kats, square watermelons???
yuck
But the greatest benefit of getting out there is this one thing:
Moving into an unfamiliar territory brings out the warrior in you.
Forced to adapt to an environment that is completely different from what your children are accustomed to, suddenly, your senses are heightened. You find ways to fit into the new circle of classmates, colleagues, neighbours by learning to speak their language and understand the cultural nuances.
You constantly push the boundaries of your comfort zone as you learn to ride the wave of uncertainty in a world that demands your children to be ever-evolving and adaptable.
Warriors fight to the very end.
Mathieu and I survived a fun, yet stressful & uncomfortable season of our lives. But it by far the most fulfilling experience we ever had since.
The short of it?
Bring your child through a journey of unfamiliar territory. Be open to try new things. Don't be too fixated on what you can experience at home. Learn from the rest of the world. There's always a better way of doing things.
That's how you become a creative, supercharged, dynamic human being in the 21st century.
Be well,
Miss G (@gladyssoh)
