So now that I’ve got a baby I’m remembering all kinds of wonderful childhood type things. Like the Russian anthem lullabies my great-grandma would sing to me, my grandfather pretending to be an imaginary squirrel friend who would leave me bread rations walnuts on the windowsill, and my parents…well honestly I have almost no memories of them until we immigrated, when I was eight, which is weird right Dr.Freud?
As I raise this child of mine I find myself repeating some babe rearing traditions almost on autopilot, when perhaps I should give pause and adapt them for the modern American times in which we now find ourselves.
For example the classic baby game ‘gde lampochka’ or ‘where is the light-bulb?’ might be a bit confusing to baby since unlike the communist issued apartment of my childhood where a solitary naked bulb hangs in the room, my child is privileged and will have to identify several light sources (all covered in attractive shades to boot.)
Other times it’s best to adopt the American tradition from the get go. Like with the ever popular game ‘Peek a boo‘ which in Russian is ‘Coo-Coo’ which my grandmother helpfully pointed out “Makes seems like baby crazy!” Thanks for the tip, Grams!
And finally there’s a category of traditions that if witnessed will probably result in a bystander’s call to Child Protective Services. Like this gem, you slowly move your baby’s forehead toward you saying ‘bada, bada bada’ until you head bump and say ‘boom’! And there’s a version for toddlers where you stroke their hand saying ‘lapochka, lapochka’ or ‘darling, darling‘ until you smack them and cry out ‘polovaya tryapochka’ which roughly translates to ‘rag with which (presumably said toddler) must clean floor with’!
Ah, how to infuse my American born baby’s life with experiences that are uniquely Russian?
Perhaps if I could find one of those darling hats?
No related posts.
Oh my goodness! Straight from our discussion about raising kids immigrant-y the other day
. The first-generation kids I know all lost a lot of that “somethingness” that we had as immigrant kids, that fear and appreciation, respect for parents, and an understanding that life is not all Pottery Barn and Whole Foods. My childhood memories stem mostly from the morose songs my mom used to sing: http://blog.vickiboykis.com/2009/02/06/the-most-depressing-baby-songs-ever-russian-ones/
I will be reading to see how you decide to reconcile these things in your life because I honestly have no idea.
You know I don’t know anything happy about Russian culture, seriously I can’t think of a single thing, are there for example romantic comedies in Russian cinema? I think not.
And I don’t know how I’m going to reconcile these things, but I can safely say the Russianglish she’s going to end up speaking will be hilarious!
I don’t know why you have such a negative view of the Russian culture. I look back on my childhood with fondness. There are fabulous movies that came out of those times…granted some of them are based on the culture of communist society…but they are nonetheless funny and entertaining movies. There were great cartoons for children that I wouldn’t mind sharing with my own children some day. There were great playgrounds where you didn’t need to be driven by your parents. I was able to go outside by myself and play with the neighborhood kids, which kids can’t do here due to lack of a “dvor”.
My experience of growing up there was great. Each culture has it’s positives and it’s negatives. I don’t think it’s fair to generalize that everything about growing up in the former Soviet Republics was negative.
Oh honey, this was meant to be funny, sorry you didn’t catch that!
I love Russian culture, I wish we had a “dvor” here, not to mention my grandparents farm that I spent summers on, how lucky Aliza would be to experience that!
As for cartoons and movies and what not, even if they are meant to be funny they make sad, or nostalgic to be more accurate. But you gotta admit that Russian entertainment, even what is aimed at children, is a lot more “realistic” than American entertainment and therefore sadder, real life is rough, ya know? So that is something I have to figure out, do I want her to see the Russian cartoons even if they are super sad? Probably…but I will need boxes of tissues for myself!
Thanks for weighing in
…um, what about Kavkazskaya Plenica and Sluzhebnyi’ Roman?
As romantic comedies? Yeah Stan rattled of a bunch yesterday too…like Slehkim parom, etc..we’ve actually been trying to immerse ourselves more in Russian culture in general because being out here (without extended family) makes ‘being Russian’ so hard, does that make sense? How do I get movies? (legally) out here? I want to start making a list of all the Russian must see movies, you’d be a perfect person to help me with that!
Thanks for visiting, I didn’t even know you read my blog!
You can order a lot of the movies online to get them shipped to your house. Do you have any Russian family in big population centers that would be willing to buy them at Russian stores and ship them to you?
Netflix and Blokbuster Online actually have decent collections of Russian movies if you’re not looking to own. By ‘decent collections’ I don’t mean that it’s extensive or anything, but they certainly have all the classics people have mentioned here.
Hi, found you through Vicki’s blog.
I have exactly one friend who has — so far — succeeded in infusing her daughter’s upbringing with Russian tradition. The little girl recently turned two, and she’s babbling in Russian and gets sung to in Russian, etc. So good luck on that front.
My husband and I talk a lot about what traditions we love and which ones we could do without. What comes up most often is the rigidity of the Russian education system: the vospitatel’nitsy who wouldn’t even hear of dissent (either from their charges or from the parents); the constant hand-washing; etc.
Also, I have to ask — where did the “polovaya tryapochka” come from. I’ve never heard of this, and I lived in Moscow till I was 13.5
Well thank you for finding me! And reading!
Not to alarm your friend but my cousins were raised with 100% Russian language/songs/cartoons,etc…the girl was reciting Marshak like a good little “Octyabryonok” when she was a toddler and then she went to elementary school and it was all over…getting her to speak Russian these days is as much fun as playing chess with my grandfather.
I don’t know where “polovaya tryapochka” came from..perhaps my parents invented it, I wouldn’t put it past them
You know, your posts are getting really good.! Seriously, isn’t great when your brain starts working again post-baby! It took me about a year.
This was hilarious. Truly. I must play some of these Russian games with my son.
ps – a girl from my playgroup returned from her native Norway and all her kids were wearing those hats!
I can feel my brain returning!
But just to make things clear this is as good as it gets, please adjust your expectations accordingly.
oh, but those hats *are* super cute. seriously, i’d wear it if my kid wouldn’t…
Ha ha! Thanks for visiting Tiffany! It always makes me laugh to see anyone wearing these, Russian or not
This is priceless and the picture–fantastic.
Why do I sound like English is my second language all of a sudden?
Thank you much! Well I don’t know about your ESL moment but I couldn’t even comment on your last post because I had nothing witty or of consequence to add..I am practicing yoga now thanks to you~
Oh, that picture is SO neat and timeless. I love hearing these stories. Heck, when I was sleep deprived and trying to figure out what to do with a colicky baby, I would have tried any of the above
Thanks Gigi, you know I really am starting to run out of ideas…how does one entertain a six month old? Not only does she seem to get bored of her toys but she’ll give me these exasperated looks like “geez mom you made that silly face five minutes ago, and now you dare to it again, boooring!”
So is that you in the photo?? I really love those hats. Of course, here in Austin we expect about 12 seconds of winter, so it might not be worth the shipping costs.
Guilty as charged, that is a genuine “childhood memory special fun time” photo. And if a winter getaway is what you need Reno is just a plane ride away!
[...] Cute hat time! [...]
How can you be posting so soon after a baby? I couldn’t even manage to take a shower in 5 days!!!!!!!!!!!
She’s six months already…besides which sometime after the ninety fourth rendition of ‘Peek a Boo” I could actually hear my brain cells dying so I had to strike back! My ‘immediately after baby’ posts are really ridiculous, like this one http://www.shesuggests.com/2010/02/28/how-to-make-gangsta-rap-child-friendly/
Hello, just stopped over to tell you that you are the featured blog of the week at my site. I enjoy your blog tremendously, and I”d love others to discover you, also.
It’s always a pleasure to read posts of yours. Always.
I just found your blog through “Good Day Regular People” and I’m glad I did! I enjoyed reading this post. I think I am an expert in all things Russian because I read “Anna Karenina” a few years ago. Ha! I have a friend living in Russia now. I should teach her these things so she doesn’t look completely ridiculous to her Russian friends.
Welcome and thank you for visiting! Ironically I still haven’t read Anna Karenina, it was assigned reading for my “Sexuality in Russian Literature” class, but I just sorta skimmed it instead.
The most important thing your friend needs to know is to drink her vodka straight up, take vodka (from the freezer!) pour into a shot glass and drink up, ice cubes? Nyet! Chaser? Nyet! Oh but you can snack on a pickle afterwards, enjoy!
Julie, I remember that pic so well!. I have a very similar one myself – except I’m holding balloons.
So glad I stumbled upon you via SITS! I TOTALLY get the cultural baby-raising thing. I hail from New Jersey, and, as I explained to my Englishman groom, it was nothing short of imperative that we entertain our children with the ever-amusing baby lap dance entitled “Trot, Trot to Boston,” which involves pseudo-dropping your infant from your lap when you come to the part about potholes. Congratulations on your little one…enjoy every minute!
Hi Sue, thanks for visiting! Oh an Englishman groom, he sounds dashing…and actually there is a similar baby game in Russian as well although I can’t think of the words…
1. I love that photograph. It’s almost otherworldly.
2. I am trying to imagine the game where the toddler is then a rag to clean up a floor with. And although it comes nowhere near a CPS referral, I just can’t quite picture it in my head.
Then again, I think “i’ve got your nose!” is a warped game to play.
Hi Lori thanks for being here…I wonder what Martha would think of having toddlers scrub floors? I can see her going either way on that one!
In Lithuanian, we say “Ku-Koo” instead of “Peek-a-Boo,” as well. I always felt self conscious doing it in front of non Lithuanians. And sometimes I forget and do it to other peoples’ babies, which is just plain weird.
Oh I understand, and then they look at you funny
[...] I’m Russian. [...]
lol….funny…
Glad to inform/entertain
Watching Russian cinema tugs at my heartstrings, paying for it tugs at my Jewish sensibilities
You know how PJ library sends Jewish content books to families with kids? We need a Russian culture lending library of sorts.
Really? Thanks! I totally thought your comment was spam at first