Why knowing where we come from helps children become who they’re meant to be
We think about the schools they’ll attend, the skills they’ll develop, the friendships they’ll make and the people they’ll one day become.
But sometimes, one of the greatest gifts we can give a child as they grow forward is a strong connection to what lies behind them.
Their roots.
A child’s roots aren’t simply about nationality or where their family comes from. They’re made up of family stories, traditions, familiar foods, languages, celebrations, photographs, grandparents, favourite places and all the little rituals that quietly say: this is your family, and this is where you belong.
That sense of belonging matters.
When children feel securely connected to their family and community, it can help give them the confidence to explore the world beyond it. Just like a tree can stretch its branches higher when its roots are strong, children can venture further when they know they have somewhere safe to return to.
And building those roots doesn’t need to involve grand traditions.
It can be Sunday lunch at Granny’s house. A recipe that’s been passed down through generations. The silly song Dad always sings in the car. Looking through old photographs together. Hearing the story of how Mom and Dad met. Celebrating birthdays in the same special way every year.
These seemingly ordinary moments become part of a child’s story.
One lovely way to strengthen this connection is simply to tell children more stories about their family.
Tell them what you were like when you were their age. Tell them about their grandparents and great-grandparents. Tell them where their name came from. Talk about the places your family has lived, the traditions you’ve kept and even the funny family stories that get told again and again.
Children love discovering that their parents were once children too!
We can also encourage them to be curious about other people’s roots. South Africa gives us such a wonderful opportunity to do this. Our children grow up surrounded by different languages, foods, music, customs and traditions. Teaching them to be proud of their own story while being interested in someone else’s helps them understand that different doesn’t have to divide us, it can make our world richer.
And perhaps that’s one of the most beautiful lessons of Heritage Month.
Heritage isn’t only about looking backwards.
It’s about taking the best of where we’ve come from and carrying it forward.
As our children grow, they’ll naturally begin choosing which traditions they want to keep, which ones they’ll change and which new ones they’ll create for families of their own one day. Their roots don’t determine exactly who they will become. They simply give them a strong place from which to begin.
At Bambanani this September, as we plant seeds, watch flowers bloom, celebrate our beautiful South Africa and gather around the braai, we’re reminded that children are growing too—often in ways we can’t yet see.
Our job isn’t to decide exactly how they’ll bloom.
It’s to give them the love, belonging and security they need to grow in their own direction.
Give them strong roots so they always know where they belong.
And brave wings so they feel free to discover who they’re meant to be.