Isla from a kid’s point of view.

Dancing on the beach- carefree and happy.   

To get a different perspective on life on the island, we decided to write about Isla from a kid’s point of view.  

We asked several of our friends if their youngsters would be willing to answer a few questions. Here are their responses.

Where were you born? 

Cancun and the USA were the most common answers.

Hanging out with friends

How long have you lived on Isla Mujeres?

My whole life, or in some cases, the youngsters answered with the number of years. 

It sounds so very grown-up, but from their perspective, it is their whole life.

If you have lived in another country, do you miss anything from that country? 

The mountains.  

Interestingly enough, none of the kids mentioned missing a particular food, which, according to our grown-up friends, is one of the biggest adjustments they had to make. We have friends who ‘mule’ down a variety of their favourite items every time they return from their country of origin. We, on the other hand, have adjusted to the food and flavours that are available here, except my favourite brand of hard, salty Dutch liquorice. That I get ‘muled’ to us a couple of times a year. It’s a must-have.

Bike riding on the Malecon

Is living on Isla fun?

Everyone answered that one with a big YES!

Why wouldn’t it be?  There are parades and fireworks several times a year for Carnaval, Independence Day, and Revolution Day. Then there are traditional dance groups, musicians, and Carnaval dancers. 

Trick or treating for Dia de Los Muertos

A youngster can celebrate Christmas with their Canadian or American friends, and still convince mom and dad that they should receive presents on the Night of the Kings, on January 6^th.  

Or they can trick-or-treat for Halloween, then continue through November 1st and 2^nd, for the Day of the Dead. 

The tradition of trick-or-treating was brought to Mexico by visitors, and the local kids adapted to the custom, expanding it into a five or six-day binge of collecting candy and pocket change from tourists.

One of several basketball courts 

What is your favourite thing to do on Isla?

These answers ranged from playing video games, going out for dinner, hanging out at the beach, and enjoying the annual Carnaval dances and parades. 

Us too, except the video games. We’re terrible at those! With a choice of hundreds of restaurants ranging from high-end gourmet to economical home-style, it’s a great way to introduce youngsters to new foods and a new culture. 

Revolution Day parade on Isla Mujeres

Kids can also learn to play baseball, basketball or soccer. Then there is fishing, either with a few friends or as a participant in the annual kids’ fishing tournament. Ride a bike. Learn to skateboard. Go swimming, or just chill at the beach. Except for a few storms that roll across the island, the weather is normally warm, sunny and great for outdoor activities. No snowsuits required!

Playing in Centro

What languages do you speak?

Everyone answered English and Spanish. 

Other languages that we have heard local youngsters speak include Hebrew, French, Italian and a number of Spanish dialects from South America. How lucky for the kids to be fluent in a number of languages at such a young age.

Fishing Tournament for the young islanders

Do you sometimes translate for your parents?  

Most said no, that their parents are bilingual, some said yes, their parents are still learning Spanish or that they translated for grandparents. 

We need one of those! We still struggle to learn the language after nearly ten years of living on Isla. A fluency in other languages is so helpful when you travel to other countries. I struggled in high school with five years of mandatory French. Lawrie chose Latin, which has been very useful for deciphering written instructions or road signs in French, Spanish or Italian.

 

Summer fun all year round

Is your best friend the child of a foreigner?  Or a Mexican child? 

The majority of the responses were: I have many friends who are from the USA, Canada, Europe, and Mexico. What a great mix of experiences for island kids.

Where do you go to school?

Most of the youngsters attend school on the island, whether it is a private school or a public school. One is being homeschooled by parents.

Do you like school?

Ha! The answers were pretty plain: which ones were boys and which ones were girls. Boys-no! Girls-yes!

Any advice for parents who are thinking of moving with their children to Isla Mujeres? 

Parents, for the most part, answered that question:

Celebrating Independence Day in Centro

Living in Isla is great with kids, safe, and fun. Most of the things I thought I needed to raise a child it turned out I did not need at all. Learning to live simply is the best lesson of all!  

Rent a golf cart, get to know the island and get a house.

Learn the culture, learn the language, and get involved with the island.

Cheers, Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Max 

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

Remember when?

Having fun at Marina Paraiso 

No, I don’t mean the sandy streets or the quaint little stores scattered around Centro on Isla Mujeres, I am talking about your memories of being a child, growing up in Canada or perhaps the United States.

You played all weekend with your friends, cowboys and Indians (yes, it was okay to say Indians then), scrub baseball, street soccer, and all you had to do was come home when your dad whistled, or the street lights came on.

Softball, team sharing mitts (in the air)

You struggled home, dirty, tired, scraped, bruised, and worn out from laughing. As you got older, you ventured further afield, on your bicycle, exploring nearby neighbourhoods or, in our case, the next town. No helicopter-parenting here. You just knew you had to be home for dinner, or you were in big trouble. That was what it was like for me and my siblings when we were kids – a few years back – okay, many years ago.

So, where am I going with this? Here on Isla Mujeres, it is like stepping back in time. Kids are allowed to be kids. No safety helmets or tracking devices, no daily schedule of planned activities, just day-to-day adventures.

Fooling around near their families' boats

We were in the local grocery store the other day when two young sisters, about six and four, came in holding hands.  They were on an errand for their mom.  The girls made their purchase and headed home, about a block away from the store. We remember doing errands like that for our moms.

But, in the USA or Canada, the parents can be sentenced or fined under the Child Abandonment statutes for letting their little kids walk to the store alone. 

Some of our favourite local kids fishing

We think the island teenagers grow up to be more self-sufficient and responsible, being allowed more freedom to make their own decisions.  We get to see a lot of them as we live near the high school. Yes, they all have their status-symbol smart phones, but they still flirt, and giggle (the boys) and shriek (the girls). They talk, joke, and interact with each other much more than their northern counterparts. The Mexican culture seems to encourage this type of communication, and we think it’s great. At their homes, the local kids are like any other kid, perhaps a little more respectful of their parents, but if Grandma tells you to do something, you had better do it. It’s the norm for grandparents to live with the family and help out with child-rearing.

Dancing to her own beat.

My grandparents lived with us when we were kids.  It was frustrating at times, but now that I look back and remember what they taught us about manners, family history, and good judgment. It was worth the frustration.

So, if you miss the good old days of being a kid without worries, come to paradise, on Isla Mujeres. No matter what your age, you can still be a kid here.

Cheers from paradise!

Lawrie, Lynda, Thomas, and Sparky

Pretending to drive - M. Watt photo

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or 

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries