Dr Cheryl Smith
Dr Smith spoke on the topic of “Understanding Third Culture Children” to a group of expatriate parents in Dalian on April 19, 2011. Her talk covered the benefits and challenges of bringing up children in a multi-cultural environment as well as what parents could do to maximize the experience. She recommended parents buy “Slurping Soup” to help stimulate discussions with their children about various issues that exist in expatriate communities such as making friends, adjusting to a different culture, saying goodbye, repatriation, etc. Parents were really impressed with the design and content of the book and expect it to be quite helpful in making the expatriate experience a positive one for their children.
Dr Smith added, “Slurping Soup” is an invaluable resource for expatriate families. It contains colorful observations and stories that Third Culture Kids will find engaging and meaningful. The activities are imaginative and very effective in helping children express their thoughts and feelings surrounding issues specific to living outside of one’s home country. Activities aimed at increasing tolerance and embracing differences are particularly important with these unique children. It’s kid-friendly illustrations and format are sure to attract and engage children of all ages. I highly recommend it to all expatriate families!
Dr Cheryl Smith is a Clinical Psychologist at Beijing International SOS, and mother of two Third Culture Kids, ages 9 and 10