Books, videos, and websites for Third Culture Kids
This book focuses on how to make moving overseas with children a positive experience for everybody. The primary focus of the book is on understanding how living overseas affects your children. It addresses pre-field preparation, transition, establishing yourselves overseas, educational decisions, and re-entry issues. The book is written from a Christian perspective.
The only book of its kind, this focuses, as the title suggests on preparing TCKs for the transition to university/college after high school graduation. Writing primarily to university-bound TCKs, the author devotes approximately half the book to an in-depth look at transition process using Dave Pollock’s Transition model, as well as some typical TCK challenges (e.g. relationships, identity, etc.). The second half of the book covers practical matters related to life on campus, financial and physical health, etc. plus a chapter on personality differences based on the Myers-Briggs Temperament Inventory. The final chapter is for parents, addressing how to prepare and support their college-bound kids.
This compilation of articles on various MK issues is a great resource. It covers developmental issues that MKs face a various ages, educational issues (including preparation for college), parenting, and MK care. This is book gives one of the best overviews of MK issues, and saves you looking for all the articles yourself.
Cristina, an MK growing up in Brazil, has spent months dreaming about her quinze anos party, the 15th birthday celebration when a girl becomes a young lady. Now the family is on furlough in Minnesota, and Cristina is certain her quinze anos will be a disappointment. To make things worse, she finds it difficult to fit in at school despite the welcome of Lisa, her best friend from the previous furlough. Although Lisa generally includes her in activities, Cristina feels like an outsider, unable to find anyone who understands or cares about the things that are important to her. Uncertain of the latest styles or slang, she often feels foolish at school. Nevertheless, she is drawn to Jason, whose part-Korean ancestry makes him stand out too though in appearance rather than behavior. Together they face the attacks of the “in” crowd and discover that there are positive things about being “between two worlds.”
Despite its somewhat cheesy title, this is a really enjoyable and relatable read. It even shows how different TCKs from the same family can react to moving and goodbyes differently. The story is a little older so social media and cell phones aren’t part of the teenage world in “Between Two Worlds” but the dynamics of US American public school are still relevant.
TCKs are often asked awkward questions about their lives far away from their parents’ culture. Some are broad and difficult to answer and others are just weird. These TCKs share some of what they have been asked and also how they want people to get to know them. This video would be great to show to a church group or anyone who is about to meet TCKs and wants to know how to be their friends. The interviewees were asked:
This book is designed for use by the whole family. The authors discuss the basic steps involved in moving abroad: deciding to go, preparing to leave, arriving and settling in, working through culture shock, living in the expatriate community, and returning home. They also address major issues such as informing the children and helping them adjust, dealing with servants, keeping the family functioning effectively, and finding social outlets overseas.