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Third Culture Mama

Raising bridge-builders

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Multilingual

Multilingualism

Let the Summer of (multilingual) Reading begin!

June 7, 2018June 7, 2018 Third Culture Mama

If there is one thing I miss from our previous life in America, it’s got to be the library system. I’ve written about American libraries before. I remember the kids’ […]

Third Culture

5 wonderful new cross-cultural books well worth your time

May 2, 2018May 2, 2018 Third Culture Mama

Following a stint of abandoned books, I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few phenomenal ones that have really broadened my horizons. What a relief! It made me think of […]

Third Culture

You belong here.

February 8, 2018February 8, 2018 Third Culture Mama

These days, I have been filling my fringe hours preparing for an upcoming Third Culture Kid speaking engagement. In my very early morning researching, there has been a most peculiar […]

Multilingualism

The day they asked me to speak to them in different languages

January 19, 2018January 19, 2018 Third Culture Mama

Some of our family’s best conversations happen around the dinner table. I’ll reassure you, some of our worst happen there too. Dinner in a home of young ones is a […]

Education

World-schooling… without the camper van!

September 9, 2017September 12, 2017 Third Culture Mama

There’s a LOT of buzz in my circles around “world-schooling”.  While definitions differ, most people use the term world-schooling to talk about using the world as your school. World-schooling families […]

Third Culture

When cross-cultural kids are rejected by their own family

June 9, 2017June 9, 2017 Third Culture Mama

From this side of the ocean, I don’t have a chip on my shoulder. Those little moments of laughter or mimicking or side comments are natural and usually not out […]

Third Culture

Third Culture Kids in marriage: 10 survey results & trends

May 15, 2017May 18, 2017 Third Culture Mama

This past month of focusing on Third Culture Kids in relationships has been a thrilling roller coaster to say the least. It all started when the 2017 EuroTCK consultation invited […]

Multilingualism

2017 Top French language resources for kids

April 1, 2017April 6, 2017 Third Culture Mama

A lot of linguists believe that the best language-learning method is through immersion. As in, moving to a place you have to speak it. Sounds dreamy and idyllic, right? But, […]

Travel with kids

A simple tool to help young kids remember their travels

March 7, 2017May 2, 2018 Third Culture Mama

Our tired stroller wheels wobbled from side to side along the uneven cobblestone of the Muttrah corniche. My cousin was leading us across the busy street towards the fish market […]

International Move

So you want to move for language? The cost of an international move.

February 22, 2017February 22, 2017 Third Culture Mama

“Would you have moved to France, knowing how hard it was going to be?“ my husband asked me in the warmth of a so-called ‘green café’ on a blistery cold […]

Third Culture

6 Ways to show some love to a TCK

February 13, 2017February 13, 2017 Third Culture Mama

By now, you know what a Third Culture Kid (TCK) is. It’s highly possible TCKs are all around you. They are the expat kids, military kids, missionary kids, navy kids […]

Third Culture

Where do I belong? The early years.

January 24, 2017January 26, 2017 Third Culture Mama

Could my young children already be wrestling with their cultural identity? In preschool?? As with many profound reflections, this one came about at the table, where precious friends asked us […]

Travel with kids

Holidays are for world-schooling

October 30, 2016November 1, 2016 Third Culture Mama

Well, we’re back from our adventure to Italy. Wow. The film director and family were staying at our place between the London film premiere and a London award ceremonies (yeay!). […]

Multicultural

Beautiful multicultural books for all ages – French edition!

September 23, 2016September 23, 2016 Third Culture Mama

Surprisingly, one of the most popular articles ever to appear on this blog was a very simple post called: Beautiful multicultural books for children. I had selected six books my […]

Multilingualism

Ignore the kids!

April 18, 2016April 19, 2016 Third Culture Mama

There is plenty of advice out there about getting kids to speak a second or third (weaker) language. One of my absolute favorite ways to get the kids speaking a […]

Birthday

This is my world.

March 31, 2016March 8, 2017 Third Culture Mama

Hi. I’m Ayo and it was my birthday this month. I’m four years old now. Ayo is my nickname. It’s actually my middle name. It’s short for Ayodelé. That’s not […]

Multicultural

Great gifts for multicultural families

March 21, 2016April 5, 2016 Third Culture Mama

I’m not a very creative gift giver. I’ll often Google to find last minute gift ideas. (Please tell me I am not alone?) Well, guess what I found when I […]

Multilingualism

For weary parents of bilinguals

February 22, 2016February 23, 2016 Third Culture Mama

A very pregnant Nae chased me around the park. She had overheard me speaking to the kids in French and was looking for tips. Encouragement, really. Nae had stopped speaking […]

Multilingualism

Language-learning: an alive, natural, changing process

October 23, 2015April 1, 2016 Third Culture Mama

When I first thought about this month’s Multilingual Carnival topic on “lost languages“, I didn’t think we had all that much to share. Our kids are all under four years […]

Bilingualism

Little language vignettes

August 12, 2015August 13, 2015 Third Culture Mama

After picking up a collection of short stories on clearance at a bookstore earlier this year, I rediscovered a wealth of beauty in the novella. That seemingly random purchase taught […]

Multicultural

“They’re gonna hate you for it”

July 16, 2015July 17, 2015 Third Culture Mama

I have been grateful for so many encouraging comments and emails about traveling with small kids, multilingualism, and cross-cultural living on social media. Then, almost out of nowhere, this one […]

Multilingualism

Bilingual Avenue Podcast

June 17, 2015June 17, 2015 Third Culture Mama

I am really honored to feature on this week’s episode of Bilingual Avenue, a weekly podcast with insightful tips and advice from language experts and normal parents like us, raising […]

Travel with kids

“H” is for…Humility

June 5, 2015October 21, 2015 Third Culture Mama

“I’m going to China, where are you going, Grammie?” Ayo asked last week as if nothing were. I didn’t think much of it at the time but it really marked […]

Multilingualism

Sibling dynamics in multilingualism

April 27, 2015July 2, 2015 Third Culture Mama

Choosing and implementing a language strategy with your first child is often more straightforward than when the next child comes along. We generally speak more to our first-borns, we spend […]

Multicultural

Learn about Asia through crafts & activities!

March 12, 2015June 19, 2015 Third Culture Mama

Today, I have the immense honor to host the March Multicultural Kids Blog carnival on the topic of Asian crafts and activities. In fact, I am posting this on my […]

Schooling

The school question

February 26, 2015June 19, 2015 Third Culture Mama

Over the past couple of years, as parents of older kids discussed preschool, my eyes would glaze over. We have time, and we won’t be living in the United States […]

Multilingualism

Expecting a multilingual baby!

February 19, 2015May 6, 2015 Third Culture Mama

What a life-altering experience it is to welcome a first baby into your home. Like many first time mamas who find themselves in this age of information overload, I felt […]

Multicultural

What? I’m not calling them “maids”!

February 13, 2015June 19, 2015 Third Culture Mama

It started with a whole lot of tension and ended with a whole lot of compromise. It climbed hills of heartache but led to a lush land of so much […]

Third Culture

That global vs. local tension

December 3, 2014May 6, 2015 Third Culture Mama

A friend of mine recently sent me a message with a question that got me thinking. He asked me how I developed a hunger for both local and global experiences, […]

Multicultural

Advent around the world

December 1, 2014December 1, 2014 Third Culture Mama

Living in Germany first gave me an insight into the craft of the homemade advent calendar. Ten years ago, a German friend of mine showed me a perfectly engineered cardboard […]

Bilingualism

Bilingualism: 3 Myths

November 19, 2014November 26, 2014 Third Culture Mama

It is amazing how much unsolicited and unfounded advice you receive when you expose your children to multiple languages. These misconceptions often come from individuals who never had a bilingual […]

Cultural Reflections

This gift of diversity

September 19, 2014January 16, 2015 Third Culture Mama

How desperately, do I want to teach our kids to be lovers of this world. Interesting then, when it actually came to inviting the so-called ‘world’ into our home (without us […]

Bilingualism

The case against bilingual books

July 16, 2014November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

Our local library branch recently purchased a handful of English/French bilingual books to add to their collection. Knowing our excitement for new books to read in French, the library staff […]

Travel

France & Greece

June 15, 2014November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

Returned from Europe. Two kids on jetlag. Ayo 26 mos, Délice 5mos. Tall Mountain leaves for long trip to Asia. Kids use it as an excuse not to sleep at […]

Cultural Reflections

Introducing Mandarin

April 15, 2014November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

Ayo’s first introduction to Mandarin was uneventful. I didn’t take him to some toddler class. Oh no, it wasn’t that glamorous. I have come to realize that the best language […]

Motherhood

Mama thoughts at TWO!

March 24, 2014November 24, 2014 Third Culture Mama

We have a two year old! We once marveled at our infant boy’s mini features, wondering who he would become. Today, we already have glimpses of who this little boy […]

Bilingualism

Guitar in the park

February 17, 2014November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

It was about 3:30pm when we arrived at the park.  We had so much fun there yesterday that we had to come back for more. The intense mountain sun again […]

Motherhood

Chatty blog “reduction”

February 16, 2014November 24, 2014 Third Culture Mama

Struggling to find the time to do the many things that I love. One of those many things is to journal. A few days ago, I started using the voice […]

Bilingualism

Minority language feelings

December 20, 2013November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

It’s got to be mind-boggling for any parent to watch the process of language acquisition unfold. As a linguist, I can’t tell you how much fun it is to experience […]

Language at 16 months

July 19, 2013July 24, 2013 Third Culture Mama

Language and speech is one of the most exciting areas of child development to me. If you know me at all, that comes as no surprise. Well, life is barreling […]

Language & travel: seizing the opportunities

June 20, 2013June 20, 2013 Third Culture Mama

I just finished reading Maria Babin’s thoughtful post on multilingualism and travel. When thinking about traveling with children for the sake of language acquisition, or to see family, or just […]

Bilingualism

Hindsight is always 20/20

April 21, 2013November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

I recall sitting in a cozy café, sipping a frothy cappuccino while reading all the books I could find on the subject of multilingual parenting atop a basketball-shaped belly. I […]

Bilingualism

Language class for tots DIY

April 10, 2013November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

Last Saturday, Ayo tried out a second language class for 1-2 year olds – this time at the Alliance Française. I asked if they did trials like the other center […]

Bilingualism

Language tiers

March 25, 2013November 24, 2014 Third Culture Mama

Back when I was reading up about bilingual parenting, I found one book that wrote about the importance of understanding which tier your languages fall into. It went on to […]

Review

The World Until Yesterday

March 21, 2013November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

I first heard about best-selling author Jared Diamond and his newly released The World Until Yesterday – What we can Learn from Traditional Societies in an in-flight magazine. In the […]

Birth

No longer an infant!

March 12, 2013November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

It’s Ayo’s very first birthday today and all sorts of thoughts are running through my mind. My first year of mamahood was mundane and humbling. At the same time, it […]

Slovenian-French 1st birthday!

March 10, 2013April 6, 2013 Third Culture Mama

Joyeux Anniversaire a little in advance and a slightly belated Vse najboljše to these darling little ones, born within nine days of one another. xxx

Babies and language

March 7, 2013November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

For all of you interested in infant language assimilation, here are some fascinating TED talks I just have to share! Patricia Kuhl: The linguistic genius of babies (On critical periods […]

Cultural Reflections

新年快乐

February 10, 2013November 24, 2014 Third Culture Mama

Happy Chinese New Year! We had such a blast celebrating Ayo’s first Chinese New Year at church. It was a bilingual Mandarin/English service with music, dance, short preaching, kids performance, […]

Linguistics

The case against Google translate

February 6, 2013November 23, 2014 Third Culture Mama

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