How would you feel if your child became an expat adult?

  • Home
  • /
  • Blog
  • /
  • How would you feel if your child became an expat adult?

Would you like for your child to become an expat?

St. John’s International School conducted a poll among expat parents and asked “Would you like for your child to become an expat?”

The majority of respondents, 66.1%, responded “yes”, 11.3% said “no” and 22.6% said they are not sure if they would like that for their children.

Expat chart

For the respondents who prefer not to have their children become expats, it was mostly due to distance and the fact they would not see their children (and potentially grandchildren) very often.

“I would miss them too much” was a recurring comment.

Those who were not sure had different reasons, including the desire for a stable home base.

According to one respondent, “I would wish for a much more stable life for our children. Moving around is interesting and mind-opening, but it also prevents us from growing roots, having a true home, living in a stable community and building lifelong friendships.”

The majority of expat parents, however, would like for their children to have an expat experience similar to their own.

As one parent said,

“Becoming an expat family (twice) was one of the best gifts we could have ever given our children. It has opened their eyes to the many different cultures of the world as well as made them extremely tolerant, flexible and understanding of others beliefs and customs.”

Another one commented, “I want them to follow their dreams.”

Overall, two out of three expat parents do feel it is a great life that they wish for their children as well.

via Would you like for your child to become an expat? | St. John’s International School Blog.

Need to talk 1-1 about your move and life overseas with someone who 'gets it'? Consider me your own, personal expat expert! I'm here for you.

Your one-stop-shop for a successful life abroad

Expatability Club

An expat community and advice hub where you’ll never feel alone or unsupported. With an Expat Expert in your pocket for real-time support.

Let's stay in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter and be first to hear news and updates from Carole.

By subscribing you also agree to receive marketing emails from Carole Hallett Mobbs. You can opt-out of these emails at any time. My full privacy policy can be seen here: Privacy Policy

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

  1. My daughter is an expat of sorts. She was born in San Francisco, but we moved here to the Netherlands when she was four, so she went through Dutch schools here. She decided to do her Bachelor’s in England, and now she’s back in San Francisco for her Master’s. I miss her all the time, but I’m proud of her for her flexibility and adaptability. If she ends up living somewhere else and has kids … well, I guess that’s an excuse for me to travel a lot to go visit her! I wouldn’t want her to feel like she needs to be here to make me or my husband happy.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Want some personalised advice?

Find out how I can help you make your expat life a success!