Anna Davidson - How to Raise a Global Citizen: For the Parents of the Children Who Will Save the World

g

Preferred application settings

For the best reading experience, the following application settings are recommended:

• Orientation: Portrait
• Colour theme: White background
• Scrolling view: [OFF]
• Text alignment: Auto-justification [OFF](if the eBook reader has this feature)
• Auto-hyphenation: [OFF](if the eBook reader has this feature)
• Font style: Publisher default setting [ON](if the eBook reader has this feature)

g

What is it like to grow up in the 2020s? I cant answer that question with any certainty and I imagine that, if asked, every child would give a different response. I suspect that it feels very different to growing up in the twentieth century, as the majority of parents of todays school-aged children did. For all that the 1980s and 90s are the recent past, so much has changed.

The idea of being a global citizen is at the heart of what is different now. We are so connected. Globalization means we buy food, clothing, toys, and tech that have been grown, sewn, manufactured, and developed all over the world. Social media and streaming services mean we think no more of messaging a friend in another country with a quip about a shared viewing experience than we do of messaging a friend down the road. Boundaries of geography and nationality are blurred. Yet our identity is as important as ever, and being a citizen of the whole globe is an important aspect of who we are, whether we realize it or not.

Parents everywhere want to raise their children to be happy, healthy, and able to thrive in the world as it exists today. This means instilling values, such as empathy, compassion, respect, and open-mindedness, that will allow them to make deep and inclusive friendships, online as well as in person. It means giving them age-appropriate knowledge and understanding of different cultures and countries, and an awareness of other peoples stories and identities. It means encouraging them to make constructive connections that build communities up rather than tearing them apart, from the family unit to our global society.

Parents also want to prepare their children for a future we cant imagine. We know there is a climate crisis, and that it is the new generation who stand to lose the most. We owe it to them to teach them to think critically and creatively about how the world works, and give them the tools, confidence, and knowledge to invent, speak out, and take action to make it a better place; one in which they can grow old.

This book explores what it means to be a global citizen in a very practical way. Each chapter covers a different aspect of parenting a twenty-first-century child, and each contributor brings their own unique perspective. Between us, we are parents to 16 children from the ages of three to 15. I hope you will find the blogs in each chapter thought-provoking and inspiring. For instant practical tips and ideas, turn to the Action Plans at the end of each section.

The future is bright. It is, because of our children. Children have the energy, capacity, and passion to be aware of and understand their place in the wider world; to take an active role in their community; and to work with others to make our planet more peaceful, sustainable, and fairer for all. Every child deserves a happy childhood. Parents and carers can help their own children find and share the joy that the world has to offer, and in doing so, experience the inner pleasure and fulfilment that this brings.

Anna Davidson

g

Find out all about the seven international contributors whose blogs youll discover in the pages of this book. Each writer reveals their passions and motivations.

Marvyn Harrison

Marvyn Harrison is a father of two and founder of Dope Black CIC as well as co-founder of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultancy BELOVD. He coined the term Dope Black Dads on Fathers Day 2018. Challenged by his feelings towards parenthood, Marvyn created a WhatsApp group with fathers he knew, hoping to share and learn from the experiences of those going on a similar journey to him. Now the Dope Black Dads network engages over 12,000 dads across the UK, US, and Africa. Marvyn regularly leads podcasts for parents and contributes to panels, webinars, Q&As, and documentaries on the subjects of male parenting, masculinity, mental health, the Black experience, and business.

dopeblack.org

@DopeBlackDads

dr ANNABELLE HUMANEs

Dr Annabelle Humanes wants to live in a world where diversity is celebrated and valued. A linguist, she worked in academia for over a decade before starting a family, teaching languages and carrying out research in language acquisition in young children. Evidence-based decision-making and multilingualism are her passions, and her own family lives with four languages (and cultures) on a daily basis. When she is not travelling or eating her way around the world with her little European citizens, she runs language enrichment classes and playgroups for French-speaking families. She blogs about being the mother of two cross-cultural children and blending cultures and languages.

thepiripirilexicon.com

Insta: @ThePiriPiriLexicon

Dr Melernie Meheux

Dr Melernie Meheux is a senior Educational Psychologist passionate about using psychology to support children and their families. As a certified Play Therapist, she believes in the power of play to give children a voice to make sense of their experiences, and strongly advocates the rights of all children to play. Melernie is co-chair of the British Psychological Societys Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP), and chair of the board of trustees for Solidarity Sports, a charity that supports disadvantaged children and those who have experienced trauma to access play opportunities. She loves writing, hates inequality, and wants to contribute towards saving the planet in any way that she can!