One of the places that Caribbean parents and people with Caribbean parents find community and a place to commiserate is Twitter. Caribbean Twitter is undefeated when it comes to discussing parenting, what would or wouldn’t happen in a West Indian household, and the proper protocol when it comes to dealing with Caribbean parents and children.
(tap the arrows on the gallery above to scroll through this week’s tweets)
If someone were on the outside looking in, they may think that growing up in a West Indian home was… well… abusive, mean-spirited, judgemental, and a wonder that any of us survived it. For some of us, that is a true statement, for others, it is only partially true or it might not be true at all – but might be true for friends and other relatives.
As we search for the commonality and humor in our West Indian upbringing on Twitter and Facebook, sometimes it seems like it is all doom and gloom, doesn’t it?
(tap the arrows on the gallery above to scroll through this week’s tweets)
In our Facebook group, SocaMom’s Caribbean Cafe, we talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of being and/or be raised by West Indian parents. They may not apologize the way we hope, but sometimes there’s a bag of mango or “waiting for you, or your favorite meal on the stove. The focus on education and “yuh books” may have helped you get out of a family situation that was less than ideal.
You might also enjoy:
- Thanksgiving with Caribbean Families
- 22 Things African American and Caribbean American Families Have in Common
- 10 Reasons Why You Need a Caribbean Best Friend
One of the most important bits of advice that I took from my Caribbean parents was to “do as I say, not as I do.” It seems ridiculously unfair, but there’s a lot of wisdom in that. Some of us are the first to get a college education or raise kids in a loving and respectful home. Even if your parents were unable to model that for you, hopefully, they wanted the best for you. We recognize the hypocrisy in the alcoholic telling us not to drink, or the philanderer telling us to stick to one man or one woman, but they’ve lived it, and they know it isn’t the best way – from personal experience.
What were some of your best/favorite moments or experiences as a child of a West Indian parent? Tell us in the comments, join Socamom’s Caribbean Cafe, or comment on this post on Facebook.
Register for the SocaMom Summit – June 12-14!
