Todobebe Inc, a leading producer of family content for Hispanics, recently released new information about Latina mothers and their method of parenting. The company analyzed data from polls conducted last year on their site and found some insightful statistics.
Good news! 93% of mothers either planned to breastfeed or had already nursed their baby, which science has shown is extremely healthy and nutritional for babies.
“This is great news for the Hispanic community. Doctors agree on the benefits of breastfeeding your child for at least six months, but we did not expect this number,” co-founder and Todobebe’s Chief Content Officer, Jeannette Kaplun, told Hispanic Tips.
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Even more amazing? 97% of Latina mommies think it’s good to teach more than one language to children and almost half said more than one language is spoken at home. And though 10% of respondents said they don’t speak a second language at home, their children still do.
Having been raised in a bilingual household, I think it’s amazing that so many Latina mothers are reiterating the importance of learning multiple languages for their kids. Being able to speak English and another dialect, especially Spanish, can give kids an advantage in school, in their careers, and throughout their everyday life. You’d be surprised how many times I’ve had to use my Spanish in unexpected places –everywhere from in line at the mall to here at work. Once, I was even stopped while traveling abroad in Europe and asked for help from a Latino who spoke little English. Being bilingual has helped me in infinite ways and I’m glad to see that other Hispanic children are growing up with a similar experience.
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And that’s not the only way Latinas show good parenting skills. 65% disagree with letting the baby cry it out at night. 54% believe children should not watch more than one hour of television a day. Though 38% are in favor of spanking, most, 51%, are not.
It’s enlightening and heartening to see proof that so many Latina moms are able to both encourage and discipline their kids, especially since Hispanic women are often criticized for becoming parents at a young age. My mom had my older sister when she was 21–a year younger than I am today—and me four years later. After moving to the US from El Salvador, she had to balance raising us while working and learning English, as well as trying to adjust to a new country. Still, she was the best mom I could have ever asked for. And these stats make it clear that I’m only one of many lucky Hispanic kids. Guess it’s just another reason to be proud of being a Latina!
Image via kynan tait/flickr
