ANDREA SCHMITT

As an expat family, you might be “back home” with a strange “in‑between feeling”. The holidays are definitely over (and you've taken down the Christmas tree), but you don’t quite feel ready to get back into routines. What you do feel is the weight of what’s coming: work, school, commuting, homework, lunches, activities. Your teens might also feel similar and are irritable, meh, or extra tired. Inside you, there’s this one question that quietly shows up: So, now what is this “

Christmas is creeping up on you... If you still need a gift for your teen daughter, then  here  are 10 gift ideas (plus one bonus one at the end). For your info, these are not affiliate links. I know how difficult it can be to find the right gift, so here are some suggestions, with links to make it easy. 1. A gift certificate for an experience your daughter likes and would like more of is always a good idea. Maybe it's "a dinner alone with dad", "visit an escape room", or "c

Why “belonging” matters for TCK Teen Girls Your TCK daughter is probably wrestling with that adolescent stage. It’s fascinating to watch from the outside, but inside, it can be painful and confusing. You remember those years: heightened emotions, intense feelings, and, of course, all the physical changes (cringe). If your family lives abroad, you may notice your teen daughter's confusion is heightened. She's not just navigating typical teenage changes but also processing her

My daughter Jessica is a TCK and has dyslexia , which was particularly challenging while living abroad. I had suspected "something" was going on when she was in first grade, but her then-teacher could not see any evidence (Jessica worked very hard on hiding it...). After three more excruciating years, plus all that comes with an undiagnosed learning disability, Jessica was finally diagnosed. A teacher picked up on her daily struggles, saw the huge discrepancy between Jessica'

How does a TCK (Third Culture kid) teen girl develop her identity? If you are the mom of a teen daughter, you more or less know what...

Friendships take time. Making friends is a whole process! If you're at a new school or college or even a new country, it's this time...

Friendships take time. Making friends is a whole process! The good news is that you don’t need to start with having a best friend. You...

If you're traveling or not, you'll still have a few weeks of summer vacation. These ideas work if you're on the road or staying home....

GGC - Design your summer “Every man makes his own summer. The season has no character of its own, unless one is a farmer with a...

Need a gift for mom? Here are some suggestions... (if you are the mom, just pass this on to your husband, the kids, or both...) No or...

As a mom of a teenage daughter, you often find yourself in the role of confidante, cheerleader, and mentor, guiding your girls through...

What a little “YET” at the end of this sentence can do for you, or, the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset! Let’s start with...

First, CCKs (Cross Culture Kids) is the umbrella term, and TCKs (Third Culture Kids) are one part of it. You can see that the words “culture” and “kids” are in both acronyms. Both groups are in contact and affected by different cultures, and the time frame we’re talking about is the developmental years. These years range from 0 to 18. This is important because, in those years, children move through important developmental stages that relate to their social, physical, intellec

Are you dreading being back after the long winter break? Returning to your boarding school or university after the long pause might be a...

Moving to another school, boarding school, or university is a major transition. If this happens in another country or city, it's an even...

It's this time of year yet again. If Christmas has been sort of creeping up on you and you still need a gift for your teen daughter, then...

Do you have a huge project you need to do, homework to complete, a book to read, or an exam to prepare for that makes you cringe,...

A fancy word for a not-so-fancy problem... You've have started the new school year with good intentions, a positive mindset, and ready to...

You arrived at your boarding school a few days or weeks ago. How can you get used to this new lifestyle? Here are 10 tips (and one bonus...

Heading off to college is an exciting and potentially challenging time for your daughter. Here are some useful tips to help her settle in...