What better way to truly expose your children to another culture and language than to travel abroad? Cultural immersion experiences are priceless and offer families many, lifelong memories. We had our own experience in Mexico a few years ago, however, today I’m sharing the story of a father whose family’s trip to the Yucatan yielded them much more than a tan. Enjoy, this story is beautiful.
Five years of foreign language in high school prepared me for our Mexican vacation, but my young sons didn’t know a syllable of Spanish between them.
I didn’t want to overwhelm the boys with Spanish 101. They were already out of their comfort zone on Isla Mujeres, shuffling around in taxis they noticed were “broken,” eating food that didn’t contain the words “macaroni” or “cheese” and learning not to flush toilet paper after a number two.
Eli, who turned 5 during our trip, wanted no part of Spanish before we arrived in Mexico. He’d crinkle his nose whenever I attempted to speak the language, albeit badly. When I told him how to introduce himself to strangers, “me llamo Eli,” he brushed me off as if I had asked him to give up “Wild Kratts” for a month. All he could muster was a mangled, “me bamo,” but he only said it to me, not the kind locals. My younger son Ben was too busy playing with the stuffed dolphin we bought him to exchange pleasantries, period.
Eli soon saw what happened when a fellow five year old, a girl traveling with us on vacation, used some basic Spanish phrases. She got broad smiles in return and the sense that a bond had been formed. Children often mimic their friends, so Eli took her exchanges in with inquisitive eyes.
My wife and I decided not to push matters. If Eli didn’t want to submerge himself in a foreign language we weren’t going to battle over it. Frankly, we hoped the trip would do more than teach Eli and Ben a smattering of Spanglish. Our sons live a blessed life, one filled with museum trips, zoo visits and year-round swimming sessions. Rare is the day when they’re stuck in the house without an adventure on deck.
The folks living on Isla Mujeres wake up each day to turquoise blue waters, and even an outsider can see the sense of community. However, many of the families lack the creature comforts that are abundant in the U.S. We saw many homes in disrepair during our visit. Manicured lawns were replaced by a combination of long grass, weeds, and plastic containers.
In short, the tiny island looked far different than our middle-class neighborhood, and I hoped the boys would notice. Some parental lessons demand open-ended discussions. In this case, I trusted my sons to process how their town compared to our vacation spot and see how the people were no different than our own friends and neighbors. We did tell them that Mexican children may not have as many toys as they enjoy. That hit home.
Did our cultural exchange disguised as a sun-kissed vacation work? Late in our visit, we all piled into yet another cramped taxi for a trek to the beach. Before we could tell the driver our destination Eli piped up with, “me llamo Eli” in a firm but friendly tone. The following day, young Ben entered a cab and immediately called out to the driver, “Castillo Maya,” the name of the condo we were staying at.
Baby steps, to be sure. Still, I felt that our trip had broadened our boys’ horizons in ways watching “Dora the Explorer” could never accomplish.
About the Author: Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and fatherhood blogger at daddylibrium.com. He can be heard reviewing films on D.C.’s most popular news radio station, WTOP-FM, as well as “The Dennis Miller Show.” He has written for People magazine, The Denver Post and Colorado Parent and is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. He lives in Denver with his wife and two sons and has yet to ski any of Colorado’s signature slopes. You can follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @DaddyLibrium
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