Raising World Citizens

It’s a big decision to bring your children overseas. My husband, Dan, and I turned our lives upside down in 1990 when we took our 1-year-old and 2-year-old to Guam, an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, to take up teaching posts. Over the next 10 years we lived in three other countries—Ghana, Singapore, and Mexico—and visited many more.

Would we do it all over again? You bet!

I can’t help smiling as I remember Ian and Ali riding the city buses in Singapore while entertaining riders with songs they memorized in Mandarin. I remember too well the scowl on Ali’s face whenever Chinese people put their hands on her blonde hair, supposedly to bring themselves good luck. I cheered Ian on as he played soccer in his bare feet right along with his Ghanaian friends.

During those years in American and international schools abroad, Ian and Ali acquired friends from all around the world. Through Facebook and other social media, they have rekindled those childhood friendships.

Today my children are grown and are living their own lives abroad having benefited so much from their international experiences. Ian currently attends medical school on the Caribbean island of Grenada and Ali has recently completed her first year of teaching at the American School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras—where my husband and I are working as school administrators. And neither Ian nor Ali have lost their wanderlust and continue to travel as much as they can.

Braving the Unknown

I’ll admit that as I look back and think about how young our children were and some of the situations we found ourselves in, we may have been a little bit crazy. There were moments when we questioned whether or not we were doing the right thing for our family…. putting our children in a local daycare in Singapore and later moving to a West African country.

But there were big benefits. Families who move abroad with their children tend to become closer and rely on one another more. They also spend more quality time together. Instead of watching television, they go on adventures and discuss what they see around them.

And a close connection exists among fellow expat families as they all look to socialize with other expats with kids. Weekend events are planned so that expat families can get together and enjoy one another’s company. We knew the parents of our children’s playmates, and they knew us. We watched over each other’s children and learned that it really does “take a village to raise a child.”

Children who grow up overseas tend to be more independent, adaptable, assertive, and better equipped to handle a myriad of perspectives.

Our own children’s eyes and minds were forever opened to the world around them. They discovered and learned so much more than if they had stayed in the U.S. during those formative years.

I will always be thankful that we were able to give Ian and Ali such amazing travel opportunities. Today after living in eight countries and traveling to more than 35, we still look back and reminisce about our experiences, which continue to make us laugh, cry, and even sigh in utter disbelief. Everything that Ian and Ali experienced played a part in preparing them to be the globally minded people they are today.

Prepping the Kids for the Move

If you’re planning to move overseas with your children, try to be available to answer their many questions, talk to them about all aspects of the move, and share their enthusiasm and excitement so that moving is seen as an adventure.

• Buy a world map and pin it up at home. Give your children geography lessons by showing them where your family will be moving. Talk about the distance, the neighboring countries, and what continent it is on.

• Visit your public or school library and stock up on picture books on the country that you are moving to. Read them often with your children and discuss the culture, food, weather, and sights of that country.

• Practice the language of that country.

• Set up a Skype account with friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents that your children will be leaving behind. Remind them that they will still be able to stay in touch.

• Research American and international schools in the city you are moving to. Talk with your kids about the sports and extracurricular programs on offer.

• Inform your children’s teachers of the move and help to arrange penpals between students and classes. Skyping with classes around the world is eye opening and a great way for students to learn about other cultures.

• Let your children help pack their own suitcases. Allow them to bring along some of their favorite toys or other items. They should also have their own backpack or rolling luggage to carry with them through the airport.

• Finally, prepare yourself as much as possible so that you know what to expect upon your arrival.

Editor’s Note: This article was taken from a past issue of Incomes Abroad. To receive Incomes Abroad online each month, simply click on the below button to subscribe at the special introductory price of $47. You will get instant access to the current issue as well as the back issues. As an additional subscription benefit, you will also receive two FREE bonus reports. (You can cancel your subscription at any time.)

Raising World Citizens