Family Socialization

Family Socialization

This week in class we were given the assignment of interviewing a member of our family, and taking a more in depth look at how this person has socialized us. For the interview I chose to speak with my mother- a person who I believe has strongly impacted and shaped me into the person I am today. She stated that before I was born her main expectation for me was that I be healthy, but also hoped I would grow to be friendly, smart, and caring. From a young age she tried to teach me to always be kind and inclusive,and never leave anyone out. She reminded me of my a birthday party, when I had wanted to invite all of the girls in my class except for one, who I thought was strange. My mom told me frankly "you will invite her, because I am not raising my daughter to be the mean girl". Looking back it surprises me how cruel children can be, myself included, without meaning to. I am glad that my mom instilled this value on me, and it is something I will try to encourage in my own children. Another value she tried to endorse was volunteering, enrolling me and my brother in scouting at an early age, and promoting the ideal of giving back to the community whenever possible. A tradition that she tried to demonstrate was close knit family. As a child her grandparents lived down the street, and played a large role in her life, so when my Dad's parents became elderly and needed a place to stay she welcomed them with open arms, trying to give me a deeper sense of family ties and a close relationship with my grandparents. This has taught me to always value the time you are given with your family, close and extended, and to never be ashamed of them, because they truly mean everything. Finally, my mom says she sees connections between us most in our love of reading (something that was promoted in my household from a very young age), and our involvement in girl-scouting (an organization through which I still volunteer in frequently).