Taking Route

View Original

Fostering TCK (Third Culture Kid) Friendships | Episode 02

Our discussion this week is all about TCK friendships. This topic can be a tough one, but it's oh so important for the health and happiness of our kiddos in their life overseas. 

In this episode we break down the discussion into the Early Years, the Middle Years (aka "The Hay Day of School Age Kids"), and then on into the Tween and Teen Years. We talk about things we have done to help our kids develop friendships, our successes and failures, how our perspectives have shifted over the years, and what it looks like to be proactive in creating opportunities for our kids to find friendship.  

We don't claim to be experts on this topic, but we hope you come away with an encouraged heart, and more than anything, we hope you see that you are not alone. If your mama heart is struggling as you navigate friendships alongside your TCK's, know that you are definitely not the only one. So, grab a cuppa and settle in for some encouragement, because it's tea time somewhere! 

See this content in the original post

Connect with us!
 Alicia
 Denise
 Melissa

Related articles and podcasts:

Expat Motherhood- the Long View 

 5 Ways I Want My TCK to be Brave  

Fostering Relationships in a TCK's Life 

 The Fears of a New Expat Mom  

When Your TCK Doesn't Love Locals 


Noteworthy Quotes:

"With that age [the early years] there are so many things you can do right, and so little you can do wrong."  

"Your kids' lives at that age (the baby age to preschool) revolve around you.  So if you're out talking to local people, and you're out making friendships your kids are learning from that." 

"These school years, I thought would be different, but I think that's just because of my cultural perspective, and I've had to switch up my thinking there." 

"When they were little it was easy. But as they get older I realize more and more that other TCK's are the ones who share the same world view, or culture and experiences." 

"I think we have a tendency when we live overseas to think everything has to do whether we live overseas- our geography." 

"Don't let satan get into your heart and mind and think that everything that's wrong, or every struggle your kid has, has to do with the geography and the call on your life." 

"These struggles are making them who they are and we need to pray through them." 

Show credits: 

Hosted by Denise James, Alicia Boyce, and Melissa Faraday // produced and edited by Melissa Faraday // content managed by Kim Johnson.

HELP THE TAKING ROUTE PODCAST REACH MORE EXPATS

Subscribe | To subscribe on iOS, go to our iTunes page and subscribe to the Taking Route Podcast. If you’re an Android user, we recommend using the Stitcher App which you can find in the Google Play store. Then, once you’re in the app, search for “Taking Route Podcast.” Click the plus (+) sign to add our podcast to your Favorites list.

Leave a review | When you leave a five-star iTunes review, it helps other expats find us when they’re seeking out podcasts on iTunes. Need directions? Just check out the “Reviews” highlight on our Instagram account.

Share with a friend | We hope to see the Taking Route podcast grow and grow and grow, but we rely on expats like you to spread the word. We appreciate when you share our episodes—whether that’s via Facebook, email, Twitter or Instagram. Thank you for the love!