Written by: Beri Gebrehiwot

Hey, Mamas! We’re continuing the conversation on what it means to be a #CulturalMom and spotlighting moms from various backgrounds. I love learning from other moms and hearing about how their experiences have shaped them as the women and moms that they are today.

As a child of immigrants, I saw first hand the hard work, relentless determination, grit and sacrifice made by my parents in order for them to provide me and my siblings with the opportunities we had. 🏾

It also meant that there was a disconnect between two cultures, resulting in culture clashes around big topics (usually based on things we could or couldn’t do as kids *insert crying face emoji).

It also meant that the emotional development skills I needed at a young age were not fostered until a later age.

Now, as a mom, I can draw from my experiences and give my kids the very things I knew I needed at a young age; as well as the things that shaped me and made me who I am today.

Things I needed at a younger age:

+ validation
+ emotional support
+ trust and independence
+ using my voice

The things my parents did that shaped me at a younger age:

+ leading by example: watching them reach their goals with pure grit and determination (no education or resources)
+ pushing me beyond my self-imposed limitations
+ consistently creating and maintaining an environment that reminded me of my identity/culture
+ being actively involved at every stage and season until I was off to college

My parents had a clear objective- come to America, educate my kids, provide them better opportunities for a successful life. And they did just that. Amazing, right?!

So, what does it look like for me (and other first generation moms) who live in two cultural worlds and want the best of both worlds for their kids?

I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about this often. I’m constantly checking to make sure the scale is “balanced” and that I’m giving my kids the necessary tools to be “whole” as individuals, to be confident in their cultural identity, to be successful and to be responsible humans.

Although my parents did a lot (like, a LOT) of talking, I think what stuck the most was their actual being.... their day to day. Who they were and what they did. It’s no wonder your girl gets an A+ for work ethic and determination (me, I’m your girl!).

So excited to continue exploring and discussing this topic with other cultural moms as we continue to grow our community app! Our community app was created to host a safe space for cultural moms like you and I to explore various topics regarding Motherhood, Personal Development and Culture!

If you haven’t already, please make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter so you are notified when our app launches (like really soon)!