Belizean Culture

As I have completed my service project week, I have learned a lot about the Belizean culture. One of the things I noticed right away was the independence and responsibility given to the children in Belizean families. The Easter Camp we volunteered at was from 10-12 and then 2-4. Most camps in the states are an all day event so parents don't have to come pick their children up. Here, it is common for younger children to go off and their own to get food and walk around town. This is something that is really important for me to realize as a teacher, because you do not want to make assumptions about people just because they may be of a different culture. It's not that the parents here do not care about the children, it is just that they think children should have more responsibilities at a younger age. In return, teachers and elders do not seem to need to be as strict about things because the children have taken on more responsibilities.