After a very, VERY long summer break we are back to reality. We came back from a lovely stay in the states with a pile of English books and some reflections on what it means to be raising children in a foreign country. How long you have lived in, and how much you love your adopted country, you more than likely want your children to have roots in your own culture. This last holiday I realised that my quest for my children here in France is not just that they become bilingual, but that they become bi-cultural. And this realisation brought home the work and dedication that this is going to entail; extended stays in the US, a concerted effort to transmit culture that will go unnoticed here in France and involving US friends and family to help keep my children with one leg in each culture. There will more than likely be hiccups, adjustments and difficulties along the way, but that is wha a community such as this is about; support for this dedicated effort to enrich our children’s lives with the lucky opportunity of being truly ‘global citizens’.
Happy Autumn!
Mums and Meres 