Having just visited British friends in Prague, it’s clear that the challenges for children living abroad are varied and multiple.
Challenges for Children Living Abroad
My friends are also Brits but are abroad for a work assignment for a couple of years. Seeing them was a stark reminder of how life abroad is a varied thing indeed. Some move for the adventure, for some it’s a move to be with a partner and for others it’s for work.
The different reasons for moving abroad throws up different challenges for our children.
My Children are Locals
My children are locals, as Dutch as Dutch can be. But I am obviously a foreigner here. That means there are cultural and language issues to deal with. There are issues keeping in touch with grandparents and aunts and uncles that live overseas. I have issues trying to understand a school system I did not go through, understanding a culture that is not mine. However, whilst they stand out sometimes, most aspects of life for my children are stable and consistent and not effected by the fact that I am not a thoroughbred Dutch.
Expat Children
For my friends in the Czech Republic almost every aspect of their lives is impacted by their expat status. Their challenges are more related to providing their children with some kind of stability in another country, knowing that their stay there will come to an end.
Their challenges include making a temporary dwelling that is not theirs a real home for the children. Expat life means the friendships their children make are temporary, and indeed the friendships they themselves make mean learning to say goodbye after a year or two. It’s not an easy cycle to go through.
Temporary Move Abroad – The Pros and Cons for Children
A temporary stay abroad also means a change of schools for their children and provides another challenge once the expat assignment ends, because it calls for the children to slot back in to the British state system.
After being in small classes with a varied curriculum and an abundance of teachers how do you help children to adapt to classes of 30 plus and overstretched resources? The flip side of course is the gift of excellent education for at least two years in an environment the children are thriving in!
And what an opportunity for children to go to school with such a mix of nationalities alongside them, in a cultural richness you won’t find in national schooling.
Cultural Awareness
We arrived in Prague two days after the new Dutch king came to the throne. Thanks to the Dutch influence in her class, my friend’s daughter knew all about Willem Alexander and Maxima, made crowns to mark the occasion and she proudly told us,
“The new Dutch queen is much better, because she’s much prettier than the old one.”
I’m pretty sure she would have known very little about this Dutch event had she still been in a British primary school.
And on top of that what a rich culture Prague has to offer. A bustling city full of history and beauty. A surprise around every corner you turn in it’s Old Town. What an amazing place for children (and their parents) to soak up and store in the memory bank. An expat life that surely enriches their children, but that inevitably comes with challenges. There are pros and cons to every decision we make. Different reasons for moving abroad, different challenges.
But there is one common factor – we’re raising the global citizens of the future!
Over to You
What do you think? How does the reason for your move abroad effect your children? Is it better for children to have these experiences abroad and deal with the challenges as they arise or play it safe and avoid the big changes?
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