culture

Art has always been a big part of who I am as a person and I have made it a priority to share that love with my kids. We have been exploring different art museums and exhibits around the city ever since they were old enough to know not to touch and destroy. Art has really been a great parenting tool that I love to use when teaching them the importance of individuality and respecting each others differences. Art teaches them diversity and expands their view of the world with each new piece. As we walk around museums I encourage them to ask questions. What do they see? What do they feel when looking at a certain painting. At the end we pick our favorite piece and write down the name of the artist. We then research the artist at home and talk about the type of art they do, wether its similar or different to the piece we liked. The Broad is definitely one of our favorite art museums in Los Angeles. It has a great open layout for kids to roam freely and not feel so constricted with tons of interactive features to keep them following along.

Credits // Dress: Zara // Jean Jacket: Old Navy // Necklace: Charming Charlie // Shoes: Target

Among the families on our editorial team, many of us have been heavily influenced by countries other than the United States. I was born outside the US and lived for a bit in Europe as a child as well. Our Editor-in-Chief, Priscila, is from Brasil. And as I’ve gotten older, feel more strongly than ever that experiences from other cultures should be a regular part of every kid’s childhood. It shouldn’t be a production or a big deal, it should just be a given! None of us are meant to just live inside our own tiny worlds. It’s so important for children to develop a well-rounded worldview.

While I dream of traveling internationally with my little family someday, until then, there are many ways to experience other cultures right here in our own city. And so yesterday, Aveline and I headed over to Silva’s Market, a local Brasilian deli and supermarket. (Our editorial team is primarily in Southern California, but a few of us live elsewhere — I’m in Orlando, Florida.)

Our friend Priscilla Barbosa — who is from Brasil and who had her camera along — met us at the market. Aveline roamed the aisles with the owner’s daughter, before sitting down in the deli to down nearly an entire helping of pao de queijo. (If there was any doubt that’s she’s two, fear not, she is. I turned around for one second to ogle the selection of sweets, and she plunged her mini GI Joe into a full glass, sending a cascade of water everywhere.)

See, the thing about introducing children to other cultures at a young age, is that it’s not a big deal for the kids. The outing wasn’t something different to her. It was just fun.

And isn’t that the way it should be?

-xo, Gina