Cultural assimilation occurs when members of a society become indistinguishable from other dominant groups in society. As the years continue to advance, many African cultures are at risk of going into full-blown extinction, due to multiple factors which include urbanisation, modernisation and the improvement of technology, amongst others.
[ad]
It is therefore important that parents step in and take up the responsibility of preserving their cultural heritage by integrating their traditions into the daily activities of their children. This will not only ensure that your child stands out where necessary, but also it can help him/her child to be in tune with his/her ancestral roots.

There are many common ways to educate your child about their local culture and instil some important traditional values. One of such ways is by sharing popular folklores and tales rooted deep in their cultural ancestry. Many children will be fascinated by learning stories about notable figures from their tradition’s history. It is always important to ensure that there is a positive lesson to learn from these tales that would help to solidify the impressions created in their minds about their roots.

Showing your children the uniqueness of local delicacies and traditional attires is another very effective way of passing on traditional heritage. Parents can show how some of the ingredients used in preparing these local dishes are associated with their culture. This can help them to develop a huge sense of appreciation of the culinary delight in their roots.

Dressing up your children in their local attires will also boost their feeling of ‘belonging’ to their cultural groups, and will increase the pride in their culture amongst their peers. It is important that parents are fully on board with this, by also putting on these attires, as a means of showing their own solidarity with the traditions.

What better way for parents to integrate tradition into their child’s everyday activity than by sharing some of their stories and personal experiences with their roots from their formative years? Children pick up the largest portion of their habits, beliefs and value systems from their biggest role models, their parents. There is a huge likelihood that given the advancement of society, the younger generation have been deprived of the close cultural experiences that their guardians might have faced growing up. Taking your children back to your origin through stories and giving them a feel of your formative years could improve their perceptions about their culture.

Repetition could be the key to cementing the legacy in their minds. To ensure that the message is fully enforced, an intentional effort will be required. Performing the aforementioned steps and then going on a very long break would dilute the learning process and defeat the purpose.

The measures must be taken frequently to ensure that they develop a strong affinity for their culture and its uniqueness. Once they are able to develop a genuine interest in their traditional origins, they will have no difficulties in passing them on to their own children, which forms the basis for maintaining cultural continuity.
[ad]