So, will the child be given a Hindu name or a Christian name? This was one of the frequently asked questions as Sarah and Ravi recalled the time of their baby shower a few years back. Having conquered the hurdle of inter-religion marriage, the next big challenge was to raise a kid in a household that was polar opposite. Every parent faces challenges while raising a kid. But the level of challenges rises exponentially when parents belong to completely different backgrounds and they are raising a child in intercultural family. Having zero or fewer commonalities often leads to endless intricacies like these.
1. Mother Tongue
Having parents from different backgrounds means bringing two different mother tongues. Studies reveal that children are subjected to experience speech delay and other languages disorders in such cases. Furthermore, they have a hard time getting a better grasp of either of the languages.
2. Loss of Identity
On one hand, we take pride in calling India the land of diversity, while on the other hand, people have a hard time making themselves socially acceptable. Instances of religious conversion, even if the person is not willing to, are also quite common. The Indian obsession of carrying forward the family name and legacy is also not alien. Things often take a dramatic turn when either of multicultural parents raising a child in intercultural family wishes their child to adhere to a single identity and neglect the other. This at times leads to severe consequences, including the feeling of dejection and identity crisis in the other partner as well as the child. Situations like this arise when deciding for what religion will the child belong to officially, or how would he exactly introduce himself, so on and so forth.
3. Parenting Style
Households where one parent is easy-going and relaxed while the other is strict, bring more complications than striking a balance. It becomes challenging if couples have a different viewpoint on child-rearing practices. From choosing to have a contemporary household to having a feminist household with no gender roles, it becomes difficult to find common ground. Being brought up in a completely different culture means that parents will often have views that will not fall in alignment in most situations, and if they are rigid, they are bound to give rise to conflicts.
Recommended reading: When You Don’t Agree With Your Partner’s Parenting Style
4. Customs and Traditions
Ravi being from a typical Brahman family detested the idea of consuming meat. He was absolutely fine if Sarah wanted to continue being a non-vegetarian until she fed their child non-vegetarian food. This was among one of the daily challenges the couple had been encountering ever since they became parents. Despite being broad-minded and embracing all the changes, they are sensitive when it comes to continuing practicing their customs and traditions and wanting the same from their child while raising a child in intercultural family. This often becomes a bone of contention as one parent feels that the other tries to dominate their practices.
Recommended reading: Perks Of Raising Children In Multicultural Home
5. Social Acceptance
We still live in a society where interfaith, inter-caste, or inter-religion marriages are looked down, and it is usually the children who bear the consequences the most. They are often bombarded with hurtful comments and easily become targets of bullies. With a crushed self-confidence, a child automatically starts to feel discriminated against and develops the idea of being an outsider.
Recommended reading: 5 Best Books To Teach Children About Diversity
Since the trajectory of a intercultural family is mostly rough for a child, they often have a tough time dealing with their thoughts and the people who surround them. As someone constantly facing difficulty navigating through family diversity, children often become victims of psychological and mental stress.
