Culture: Parenting: view article

As parents, the Nolwynn are known for being indulgent with children. This is in part because their culture places a lot of value on parenthood and on maintaining right relationships with everyone in the tribe [a cultural value called Bwolo]. Being an upstanding tribal member [by helping others, being a good parent, having children, and using the Avoidance Language, among other duties] is considered a religious obligation.

[edit] [top]Becoming a parent

Parenthood is seen as a blessing as well as an obligation. The "obligation" part is especially policed among Tulwyn culture, where young Tulwyn attend the yearly marriage festival [Eymegala] in the hopes of finding a suitable partner. Among the sea-dwelling Nolwynn, however, it is considered best to give birth or conceive at certain times of the year or not at all. Not only do these particular times carry magical significance, monitoring how many children are in a clan at any given time helps prevent the Nolwynn from overpopulating their boats.

Neither the Tulwyn nor the Nolwynn use artificial birth control. For the Nolwynn, it is a practice something only land-dwellers have need of because - in their view - they are irresponsible with sex, incapable of controlling their base instincts, ignorant of their biological functions [knowing when their fertile cycles are], and incapable of providing a quality environment for children to live in. In general, there is strong opposition to abortion among the Nolwynn. The Tulwyn don't use birth control simply because it was demonized by slave-owners who wanted more slaves; the mentality that it was inappropriate lived on. In general they have a more neutral position on abortion.

The Nolwynn do partake in "natural" methods of birth control, such as what others might call the rhythm method. Their cultural appreciation and acceptance of non-penetrative sex and homosexual relationships makes it simpler to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

In some cases, Nolwynn may adopt children found abandoned on the shores. Child abandonment is somewhat common throughout Kireles [the planet the Nolwynn people live on]. If found as infants or toddlers, they may be adopted and inducted into the tribe through a series of rituals that are designed to purify the child of land influences.

Despite their willingness to adopt non-Nolwynn children, the idea of intentionally having a mixed-race child with a land-dweller is highly frowned upon. Unless the non-Nolwynn parent would be willing to go through the stringent purification rituals, it is unlikely that the clan would be accepting. Nolwynn identity is about more than race - which is why they accept land-dweller children, believing that the child can be given a Nolwynn soul. But as adults, this cannot be done, or at least not as easily. Because of their past of traumatic and violent encounters with land-dwellers, Nolwynn believe that such relationships are highly detrimental to the well-being of the clan. Children from such unions would not be cast out, but their parents might be.

Nolwynn practice communal child raising. Biological parents receive lots of help from everyone in the tribe. In many ways, their society is structured to protect and nurture children. They value parenthood and children above all else, which is reflected in the value Uakwuo , which can mean blood, family, or soul.

[edit] [top]Raising children

The Nolwynn believe that children learn best through loving and gentle interactions. They don't believe in corporal punishment and in fact find the practice abominable. Spanking is a sign that adults don't have what it takes to be a parent and are in violation of the value Bwolo. In some cases, it is considered so bad that the shaman may banish whoever spanks a child. Yelling is nearly just as bad and signifies that a person is immature and untrustworthy.

To teach children things like sharing, discipline, listening, and essential safety information, the Nolwynn have a strong tradition of storytelling. It is believed that children can learn from dramas and storytelling better than from bare statements. Additionally, this helps pass on the high value Nolwynn culture places on storytelling. The stories may be playful and fun or they may be scary. Instead of saying something like, "Share the food!" a Nolwynn parent would engage the child in a story about the importance of sharing. The story gives the child a chance to practice things such as emotional regulation and gives them the opportunity to think about the consequences of their actions.

[edit] [top]Disability

Historically, one of the most beloved shamans was a woman named Mworeaa, who was autistic. Prior to her reign, autism was not well-understood or supported. She brought a lot of attention to the condition. As a result, Nolwynn are very supportive of their autistic or developmentally challenged children to a degree not seen in many other cultures. Some examples of how the nomadic Nolwynn try to assist their autistic members:

Most clans possess isolated and quiet rooms equipped with down-filled pillows and other supplies to help with overstimulation.
Healers are taught how to handle meltdowns and sensory overloads.
Many shamans carry fidget toys as part of their kit to help autistic children.

Other forms of physical and mental differences are supported as well. There may be some stigma, but it is not widespread.

[edit] [top]Schooling

There is no centralized schooling system as there is on the mainland of most countries. Instead, Nolwynn children learn by watching adults and taking part in age-appropriate chores:

Older male children will often accompany men onto land. Doing so enables them to learn many languages
Fishing
Hunting sea creatures
Deep diving on a single breath
Nolwynn history and mythic history
Basic daily tasks necessary for the functioning of the community [cooking, weather prediction, basic healing]
Creating sails and boats
Astronavigation and mathematics

Children learn all this and more in casual settings. ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article

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