The raising of children in two cultures.

The job of raising children is a tough one .Children don’t come with an instruction manual. As we analyze the backgrounds and the cultural environment that surrounds them we can empathize with the parents who have the responsibility of influencing these young minds. When we look at the attitudes of children in the
Caribbean and in the United Kingdom we can clearly see that the social expectations of raising children in the Caribbean contrast greatly with raising children in the
United Kingdom.

In the Caribbean, there is pressure by parents for their children to find economic success. Parents tend to place high emphasis on early life education. As soon as children are able to help themselves and established learning capabilities, they are placed in pre-schools. The age of these children tends to range from about two to three years old. The average Caribbean child regardless of its social or economic background is groomed by its parents to take advantage of the education offered to make better for itself. Scolding, yelling, slapping, and spanking are considered appropriate and necessary for socializing children. In line with what is fast becoming social norms in the
Caribbean, children of all economic backgrounds are taught to try their best to work the system, that is, get a college and university education, get a great job and to earn lots of money. No matter the socio-economic status, race or religion, Caribbean children are taught that they have just as much chance of succeeding as the next guy.

Another social expectation of Caribbean culture that stands out is that it tends to place a higher value on familial relationships over friendships. The importance of family bonding, as well as values, help the child to grow up in a way that they can respect what they have. Caribbean families live in close proximity or in extended families so there is the ability to bond with cousins, grandparents and other family members. Children who bond with extended family members will always have that extra loving so they will not feel neglected. Caribbean children live at home with their families, and are very aware of their need for support from their parents. Caribbean teens do not begin to separate from their family until their late teens, even early 20’s, when it is legal for them to do so or when they become involved in long-termed relationships that normally leads towards marriage. In fact, the first time that many Caribbean children experience freedom from their parents is when they leave home for college or university outside their countries.
For many, this is their first chance to experiment with values that fall outside of those taught to them by their parents.

On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, children tend to follow the paths that their parents have taken and traditionally speaking, the average parent does not place strong emphasis or pressure on their children to find great economic success. British parents are lenient on their children and this leads to deviant behavior as they grow older. Europeans believes in the individuality and rear their children according to that belief. Children

Further more in the United Kingdom, children tend to have a huge appreciation for friendships with their peers rather than their family. British culture places a high value on friendship, with children choosing to spend time with friends over family from a very young age . A majority of families in the United Kingdom enrolled their children in boarded school thereby enlisting their care to others. In the United Kingdom as well, the larger percent of families live in a suburban or semi-rural environment which make socializing among families difficult. There is not the same strong family connections as in the Caribbean. The age at which UK children begin to break away from their family unit is also very different between cultures. UK teens experience the beginnings of separation in their early teens and it is often viewed as rebellion. The majority of UK teens experiment with and experience these things during their early to mid-teens. On a hold, teens from the United Kingdom are made independent a much younger age.

Today, children have few responsibilities, their lives are characterized by play not work, school not paid labor, family rather than public life and consumption instead of production. We can say that social expectations in the raising children in two cultures are guided by the child-rearing techniques that families employ throughout the world.
Differences such as methods of discipline, expectations regarding acceptance of responsibilities and transmission of religious instruction vary among families. While parents' personalities and family situations may greatly affect their child-raising decisions and strategies, the family's cultural background will continue to play a strong role in how a family raises its children.