Fostering Patriotism in Trinbagonian Children
Updated: Sep 25, 2020
National Patriotism Month in Trinidad & Tobago is observed from August 17th to September 24th and coincides with Independence Day on August 31st and Republic Day on September 24th. This is a significant period that can be used to help develop patriotism in children. Essentially, patriotism is the devoted love, support, and defence of one’s country or national loyalty. Here’s a look at how patriotism can be developed in a child through the watchwords “Discipline, Production and Tolerance.”
Discipline
What to do during the national anthem & pledge - one of the ways to show patriotism for our country is showing respect for the national anthem and national pledge. At any event, if the national anthem is being played or sung, they should stand at attention with their hands firmly at their sides. During the nation pledge, however, they should stand at attention with their left hand placed on their chest and their right hand held upwards with the palm front-facing. Often times children suddenly become fidgety and their attention goes elsewhere during the anthem or the pledge. Have them focus on the words that are being said and reflect on the meaning and significance of each word.
Production
Our responsibilities as citizens - children need to understand that they too are crucial for the success of our nation. Encourage them to find ways to contribute to the development of their own communities, through sustainable development, environmental awareness and social responsibility.
Teach children about the three R’s; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Neighbourhood Litter Prevention campaigns; SWMCOL's "CharLiE the Litterbug" 1980s campaign encourages children and adults to "Chase CharLiE Away," by keeping their surrounding environments clean and litter-free.
Donations; Nourishtt’s “Covid-19 Action Plan, CAP” is an initiative that encourages you to donate essential items to support other families in need.
By getting children involved in these initiatives we help instil patriotic values in them. It’s also a nice gesture, especially during these unprecedented times.
Tolerance
Appreciating our diversity - our twin-island nation is a multicultural and extremely diverse society with persons of many races, ethnicities, and religions, with rich history and traditions that make us unique. Teach children the importance of embracing and appreciating differences. Teach them that respecting and supporting everybody’s uniqueness also includes speaking out against others who may be less tolerant and discriminatory.
You can get started by taking your child on trips to our national museums or other places of historical significance so they can learn about our history and national heroes. The first step to tolerating, accepting, or appreciating another's culture is to first learn about it.
Remember, there is strength in diversity!
So, to commemorate the end of National Patriotism Month 2020, take the steps to help develop your child's patriotism, so they can feel proud to be Trinbagonian.
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