Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

My mommy and daddy think they need to teach me everything.

They don’t.

I can learn some things all by myself.

For example, when they put something in my mouth, I should swallow. Wait! That might not be a good example after all. Cuz sometimes I spit things back out at them and they really get into a teaching mode then.

Scratching an itch

“Mia! Don’t spit that on the floor!”

“Mia, eeww! Maybe we need to buy a dog to clean that up. I ain’t touching it.” (That’s my daddy who says that.)

“Mia. It’s good for you!” Hint to all future little people. When they say it’s good for you it means it doesn’t taste good. I learned that on my own! That lesson is a bonus.

Here’s something nobody had to teach me.

When I got an itch my fingers go for it and scratch it till it stops. Yup, learned that on my own, too.

Mommy, Daddy! I love you guys and I am glad you are teaching me stuff. But don’t worry if you don’t cover everything cause I’ll figure some of them out on my own.

Now I wonder. When the round springy looking thing on top of the stove is really bright red is it really really hot or are they kidding me?

“Mia!!!!!”

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.