I was recently interviewed by Education Rickshaw for an article called “Should you raise your kids overseas?”
Education Rickshaw is a blog aimed at international teachers, with lots of information about teaching (and learning) overseas. I met one of the authors when I was speaking in Khartoum, Sudan, back in April. We had a great conversation and he raised some thoughtful questions from his own perspective as a teacher of TCKs and a not-yet-parent thinking about what it might mean to raise kids overseas. We continued the conversation after my return to Beijing through an interview on the subject.
The resulting blog post includes extensive quotes from that interview. A lot of what I shared is applicable to all families, not just educators. There is information for families already raising kids abroad, and also for those weighing their options.
Toward the end is a section specific to international educators. There is a sub-section of Misunderstood that addresses the experience of children of international school teachers, and I quote one of the TCKs I interviewed for the book.
Now {spoiler alert} here is my conclusion on the titular question: should you raise your kids overseas?
Now for the big question. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of being raise overseas? According to Tanya, “there are many advantages to the experience of growing up overseas, and I think it’s overall a positive experience. Most TCKs agree. I surveyed 750 TCKs for my book; over 80% said they were glad to be TCKs, and 90% said they were thankful for their international experiences. Yes, there are challenges to being an international family, but with awareness these challenged can be addressed and managed. I definitely think the journey is worth it, especially where parents are committed to providing their children with emotional resources and tools – not just material ones.”
MISUNDERSTOOD 