Grounding in the native country
To much regret from parents, only half of the expatriate children feel at home once they return to their native country. Often the knowledge of their native language is not sufficient and many children feel discriminated for being different. After all, standing out as different can be challenging for children who are desperate to fit in with their peers. In most cases the children do not wish to go back or their wanderlust remains. For others an “identity crisis” arises, simple questions such as “where are you from?” can be a nuisance. Later in life this crisis can lead to symptoms that include seclusion, loneliness, withdrawn behavior and uncooperative or even disruptive behavior. Overall it takes an expat child longer to settle down in life. This is called the expat Child Syndrome, a term that has been coined by psychologists to describe the emotional stress in children caused by a move abroad.
The most important thing for parents who wish to live abroad as expats is to educate themselves about the consequences it has on their children and to consider whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. It is crucial that parents carefully plan and implement the move abroad and seek further information about ways in which parents can assist their children to prepare for their move to a new country.
Grounding in the native country
To much regret from parents, only half of the expatriate children feel at home once they return to their native country. Often the knowledge of their native language is not sufficient and many children feel discriminated for being different. After all, standing out as different can be challenging for children who are desperate to fit in with their peers. In most cases the children do not wish to go back or their wanderlust remains. For others an “identity crisis” arises, simple questions such as “where are you from?” can be a nuisance. Later in life this crisis can lead to symptoms that include...