Americans Raising Kids In Mexico On Purpose?

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We had lived in rural Mexico for five years before we went back to Colorado for a few years

. Everyone in Colorado seemed relieved that we had come to our senses and were finally home. But Joel and I had gotten a taste of a different way of life while we were in Mexico that resonated with us on a core level and kept whispering to us to come home. (Not ColoradoMEXICO! Isnt life funny that way?!) We have since learned that the old saying around here that once the dust of Mexico settles on your heart youll always come back has proven true for us.

There was nothing really wrong with our lives in Colorado. Nothing broken; nothing needed to be fixed. We owned a nice house and I was a stay at home mom, homeschooling our kids and Joel had a great job as a Systems Analyst. We had (and still have) great friends and family there. We were plugged into our community and the kids had swimming lessons, dance lessons, etc.

One day, I realized that it would be very easy to accidentally stay in Colorado--forever. It was then that Joel and I talked about what that would mean and living our lives on purpose. We said that if we were going to stay in Colorado we wanted it to be by choice and not happen simply by default. We made a list of pros and cons about both and at first blush it looked largely equal until we rated each pro and con on its level of importance. It was then that Mexico won by a landslide.

The gentle pace, simplicity of life, lack of materialism and emphasis on family values were all things we wanted in our lives. We wanted to give our kids the chance to be bicultural and bilingual. We wanted them to understand what it is to be a minority. None of us understood what that feels like until we moved to Mexico. I wouldnt trade that awareness for anything now.
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Our kids have freedom here like Joel and I did when we were growing up. They can ride their bikes and explore here which wasnt even an option in Colorado. They can be children here.

And I dont know if its just the people we know or if it could really be true but in general the kids here are more respectful, kind, and happy and contribute more to the community than I have seen in America. Where is the teenage angst?!

There really is no such thing as a generation gap here. Mexicans dote on their children and cherish their elderly. Most often, three generations are living under one roof and helping each other out.

Is Mexico perfect? No way! But even that offers valuable life lessons about patience and having a sense of humor and realizing that the world doesnt revolve around them. Feeling entitled or like society owes you something are not even on the radar here.

Joel and I believe weve given our kids an advantage in life by living in such a friendly and safe place where innocence and family bonds are strongly in place. The language, culture and weather are gravy. Its like stepping back in time 50 years and growing up in that era instead of this one.

I realize that this is a very personal decision and one size doesnt fit all but for us it has given us far more than we expected when we worked on that pros and cons list all those years ago. Mexico is an adventureand an experience rich with discovery along the way.

A couple of my kids weigh-in:

Lily, 16 years old:

Living in Mexico has taught me a lot. Age is unimportant when it comes to friendships. I have friends in their 60s and 70s and friends as young as four years old.

I have more freedom and liberty here. People trust people more. Everybody is friendly and says hello when they see each other on the streets and ask how my family is doing.

There's also a lot of culture here. There's people here from all over the world and nobody feels like they need to change or become someone they aren't...it's very open that way.

I love Mexico. It is my home. But I still want to see more of the world and now that I have had the experience of living and learning another language and making new friends I know that anything is possible.

Maya, 13 years old:

My life here has been simple and calm. I have a lot of friends here, and its easy to be who you want to be. Theres no such thing as the new fashions for many people, so we go our own way, living how we want to live.

Also, there is a theatre here where you can do so many things. It is a great place to be when you want to really see the life and freedom there is in acting, singing, playing, telling jokes and just having a laugh with friends.

I am involved in of course, the theatre, I am writing several books at the moment, and love singing and hanging out with my best friends (like any tween would)

I wouldnt mind staying here all my life; although I would like it if my best friend in the States, (Halley) would come down say every weekend! So the sentence that would just finish this little speech up would be I love living in Mexico!

by: Kristina Morgan

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