It is not easy being our children. We just keep moving them around. Unintentionally, because of work, but we do. We are the ones who make the final decisions of whether or not to move. And where to. And when. They had no say for a while. Now they're older so we can ask their opinion and take it into consideration. And we do. Who do you think were the ones who chose the house we just bought?
I was just thinking about how many schools my son has study at. 4. Pre-school at private school in a state. Kindergarten at a public school in another. Then the Graded. And now the public one here in Florida. And I'm not even talking about day-care. My daughter started pre-school at the Graded so this is only her second school. But this is a lot considering how young they are.
My son lived in 5 different states and he lived twice in the one where he was born. He also lived in a foreign country. My daughter lived in 4 different states and in a foreign country. By the age of 7 they have moved around more then most people move their whole lives!
They're so used to flying they think it is a lie that some people have never been on planes before. They also have a hard time accepting the idea that some people have never seen snow. Or the sea. Or that most people can only speak one language. That there are kids on the streets asking for money because they're hungry. Or slums. In a way they think they've seen it all. And so do I. But they don't have an attitude about it. They don't have a sense of entitlement. This is just the life they live. They know the company is paying for lots of our expenses and they also know that Dad has to work really hard for us to have a nice life. And they appreciate it. They're thankful for their lives.
They also like helping other kids. And being nice to them. They understand how hard it is to be the new kid around. They were so proud of themselves when my son was voted the most trustworthy person in his class and my daughter was voted the friendliest kid in hers. My husband and I couldn't be more proud of them. And we also hope that we are giving them skills to succeed in life.
So relocating is part of their lives. And we think that it is having a very positive effect on them. It is making them not only accept differences, make them embrace it. And be adaptable. And good friends.
They also have an amazing bond. They are each other's best friend! They learned how to rely on each other during the difficult and lonely times that we go thru while relocating. But they are not the only ones. I've seen some expats siblings just like them. And I've seen some brats too. And kids who get depressed with all this pressure. But the vast majority is of kids just like mine.
Expat kids like them are called Third Culture Kids or TCK's and a lot has been written about them. I encourage you to read about it. You'll have a better understanding of what the kids go thru and how you can help them go thru all the changes. My kids are wonderful TCK's. I adore them!
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