As families living internationally whose children experience the same challenges, we wanted this kind of resource for our children.
We six women met in Beijing and realized we wanted something that children could read and relate to. We wanted to hear the voices of other Third Culture Kids and provide a voice for the reader through the activities and discussions with their parents. After finding an effective system of skills through Parent Effectiveness Training, we recognized that together we could create a helpful and unique resource that wasn’t available.
Many experiences of our twelve children revealed common themes continually faced by expatriate families. Our children were delighted to share their personal stories and contributed with artwork, pictures, ideas for activities and song and dance and each time we spoke with other families in similar situations we were motivated to continue. They could not wait to get their hands on a copy.
We worked together on all stories and activities for nearly two years and the result was cathartic for all of us – this resource brought us together, deepened our friendships, and above all was lots of fun. We hope it will do the same for many families around the world.