We’ve been living in the Dominican Republic for five years now, with two babies born on this beautiful island, and you’d easily assume we’re living the tropical dream life: salt-soaked hair, kids learning to surf before they could crawl, coconuts for snacks, and piña coladas at happy hour.
Sure, there are days like that, but it’s not all easy. Raising children is never easy, and raising children abroad is even harder.
Life in the Dominican Republic
That being said, we have learned a lot from living abroad and especially our children have learned a lot as a result of living in the Dominican Republic, even before they were just four years old.
To learn more about the Dominican Republic, buy The Dominican Republic – History, Culture, Politics on Amazon.
The world is their playground
Living in the Dominican Republic, I don’t spend much time indoors because the forecast is always sunny and I don’t need to check the weather.
We spend our days at playgrounds, pools, beaches, yards, basketball courts, etc. You see, it encourages our kids to live outdoors and play endlessly all summer long.
They spend most of their waking hours exploring the outside world, and that’s a wonderful thing.
Learn how to talk to anyone
Dominicans have a sociable culture.
People are hanging out outside talking to their neighbors, strangers are talking to each other in line at the supermarket, and a gas station attendant once stood by my car window the whole time I was filling up, asking about my dog in the passenger seat.
I wasn’t even sure if it was OK to talk so much about my dog to a stranger.
This is not a culture that avoids interaction, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if my daughter struck up a conversation with a security guard at the U.S. Embassy.
My children have learned that communication is an essential skill for connecting with others, and it has made them wonderful, outgoing people.
* Tigail is Dominican slang for a hustler or street smart guy.
* Colmado It’s a corner store, like any other general store you’ll find in the Dominican Republic.
What life in the Dominican Republic has taught my children
Life in the Dominican Republic has taught them to see everyone the same.
They say hello to the Haitian workers on the construction site, the nanny walking opposite us on the sidewalk with an umbrella, the businessman they pass at the mall, and to them it makes no difference.
Manners, simple greetings and thank yous are not just for the wealthy families I see every day at my husband’s school. They apply to everyone we come into contact with.
Living in Santo Domingo has taught me that they are accepting of people from all places, walks of life and all walks of life.
You can buy coconuts at the supermarket, but why buy them when they grow on trees?
As a kid, unless you went apple picking in the fall at an orchard, you probably didn’t stumble across an apple tree and eat an apple from it. That’s not the case here.
Our complex has several coconut trees, guayaba trees, banana trees and mango trees – all with fruit that can be picked and eaten.
Check it out: Why I travel for food and why you should too!
For us in the Dominican Republic, children (and pregnant women) are little gods in human form, like cows in India.
People still stop their cars to let you cross the street when you’re pregnant, they still let you cut in line at the bank or grocery store, and your child has the same right of way.
Our kids have received rave reviews from elderly Dominican grandmas, skater boys in their twenties, middle-aged domino players, young mothers, Catholic nuns, and more.
Learning to Live Like a Child
They run and make noise, but no one pays them any attention, and they roll their eyes.
They look at us and don’t wonder why our kids behave like kids. This is a culture that loves and accepts kids, and that’s reflected in my culture.
They are fearless in public and assume people will love them… and people do love them.
You say hello and I say goodbye
There was no question that I wanted my children to be bilingual.
My family is first generation Cuban-American, so I wasn’t always confident with my second language, Spanish, but I knew how important it was to be bilingual…and still am.
Before my children were born, I decided that I would only speak to them in Spanish, and living in the Dominican Republic makes that easy, and with my husband working at an English school, it was natural for us to learn both languages.
Watching them navigate between the two languages is truly amazing, to say the least.
They know who to thank in English and who to say gracias to in Spanish, and they have no qualms switching between the two. It’s super cool. They’re currently working on mastering a mix of Spanish and English.
Enjoy: 11 Fun, Lesser Known Things to Do in Cuba
You don’t need a reason to celebrate
It’s Friday afternoon and our friends are coming over with their kids. They’re bringing snacks. We’re Colmado*play a YouTube playlist and party.
We do the same thing for Saturday morning brunch, Sunday afternoon or even on Monday to start the week.
It doesn’t have to be someone’s birthday or any special occasion to have a good time with friends here.
Dominicans love to get together, they love music (the louder the better), rum and laughter.
There is no “right” reason to celebrate when everything is a reason to celebrate. Life is one big party, as long as you keep dancing.
read more:
How travel has helped you live a fulfilling life
What made me start living for myself
In pursuit of a richer life
