Everyday experiences of 18‐ to 36‐month‐old children from migrant families: the influence of host culture and migration experience

Abstract

We explored the everyday experiences of 18-to 36-month-old toddlers at two study sites and the influence of adaptation to the host culture on the everyday experiences of children from migrant families. First-and second-generation Puerto Rican families in Connecticut, USA, first-and second-generation Turkish families in Bochum, Germany, as well as families of the respective majority cultures were sampled (N = 161). We interviewed mothers to obtain detailed descriptions of a 24-hour period of a weekday. Study results focused on the activities children engaged in and the social context. The results indicated significant differences between the two sites. Despite site differences, we found parallel processes of adaptation across both sites. Everyday experiences of children of first-generation mothers differed in important aspects (e.g. selffeeding) from those of children of the majority cultures. Children of secondgeneration mothers were in an intermediate position on most variables, primarily linear pattern of acculturation. Overall, our data suggests that the opportunities and constraints of the physical and social environment of the receiving country as well as the migration experience influence the everyday experiences of children.

Migration and parenting: reviewing the debate and calling for future research

“…Parenting practices in migration contexts have been mostly analyzed through a psychological and biomedical lens (Barlow et al, 2004;Garcia Coll et al, 1995). Biomedical work aims to establish parents' level of "acculturation" (Bornstein and Cote, 2006;Driessen et al, 2010) as a "predictor" of parental behaviors in relation to diverse issues, such as oral health, diabetes, discipline, respect, physical punishment, sudden infant death syndrome, breastfeeding and nutrition, child growth and sleeping patterns (Meléndez, 2005;Ispa et al, 2004;Schulze et al, 2001) and as a predictor of a child's psychological wellness (cite?). Migrant families are often represented as knowledge deficient, dysfunctional or in need of training or education in order to ascribe to normative notions of child rearing (Bornstein and Cote, 2006;Garcia Coll et al, 1995;Fraktman, 1998).…”

Experiences of Teachers in Implementing the “Education in Emergency” During COVID-19 pandemic, 2020: A Case Study in Lower Secondary School in Eastern Bhutan.

“…Such positive parental support for learning is encouraging. The findings highlighted the importance of parental support in children's learning, as parental engagement can have a positive impact on the development of children's cognitive skills (Driessen et al, 2010).…”