Raising Global Citizens: Cultural Etiquette With Your Grandkids Abroad

Chosen theme: Cultural Etiquette: Teaching Grandkids While Traveling Abroad. Together, we’ll turn travel into a joyful classroom—filled with curious questions, respectful habits, and heartwarming moments your grandkids will remember long after the suitcases are unpacked.

The Power of a Friendly Greeting

Teach grandkids to make eye contact, smile, and politely greet in the local language. A simple “bonjour” or “konnichiwa” shows effort and respect. Ask them afterward how people reacted, and celebrate those tiny, meaningful wins together.

Practice at Home With Role-Play

Turn living room time into a playful etiquette rehearsal. Pretend you’re meeting a shopkeeper in Paris or a station clerk in Tokyo. Switch roles, try varied greetings, adjust tone, and reward respectful listening, patience, and thoughtful body language.

Respectful Body Language Basics

Explain that gestures speak loudly. A gentle nod, hands out of pockets, and giving personal space matter. Show how bowing can be respectful in some countries, while a firm handshake fits others. Ask kids to notice and adapt kindly.

Share that tools vary by culture and context. Demonstrate safe chopstick use and explain why sticking chopsticks upright in rice is considered inappropriate in some places. Encourage kids to watch locals, copy gently, and ask polite questions.

Sacred and Cultural Spaces: Dress, Silence, and Shoes

Pack lightweight scarves and longer layers for modest spaces. Explain why covered shoulders or knees may be appreciated. Involve kids by letting them choose respectful outfits, turning etiquette into empowerment rather than a list of rigid rules.

Sacred and Cultural Spaces: Dress, Silence, and Shoes

Teach kids to pause before snapping photos. Some places restrict photography, others ask for silence. Show them how a whispered question—“Is it okay to take a picture?”—protects dignity and honors the space’s deeper meaning.

Moving Through Cities: Queues, Escalators, and Seats

Point out how people line up for buses, bakeries, and ticket windows. In some places, queuing is sacred. Encourage kids to join the end, wait their turn, and notice how fairness keeps everyone calm, safe, and smiling.

Gifts, Hosts, and Thank-Yous

Pack a little something from home—local chocolates, a postcard book, or a tiny craft by the kids. Explain that thoughtfulness matters most. Invite grandkids to present the gift with two hands and a genuine, practiced thank-you.

Gifts, Hosts, and Thank-Yous

Share that presentation can carry cultural meaning. Encourage neutral, cheerful wrapping and a short note explaining the gift’s hometown story. Ask kids to help decorate with simple stickers or ribbons to add warmth without overwhelming symbolism.

Ask each child to share three observations: something they learned, something they loved, and something they’ll try differently tomorrow. Capture highlights in a small travel journal, and invite readers to share their prompts in the comments.

Raising Global Citizens: Cultural Etiquette With Your Grandkids Abroad

The Power of a Friendly Greeting

Practice at Home With Role-Play

Respectful Body Language Basics

Sacred and Cultural Spaces: Dress, Silence, and Shoes

Sacred and Cultural Spaces: Dress, Silence, and Shoes

Moving Through Cities: Queues, Escalators, and Seats

Gifts, Hosts, and Thank-Yous

Gifts, Hosts, and Thank-Yous

Reflect, Relate, Remember: Turning Moments into Lessons