The Kids Are Alright

As we prepared to move to Thailand, arguably my biggest concern was how the children would adjust to being in a new place away from their friends, family, and everything they knew. This was the first time for them to leave the United States, and while they have had a small exposure to foreign languages, they had never been immersed in a non-English speaking culture.

If you’ve ever considered moving to another country, or even just traveling to one, with small children, this has probably been a big concern of yours, as well. Let me just assure you that our children have adjusted wonderfully. I would argue that the transition has been the easiest on them! They take all the new things in stride and see the adventure in everything we do, even though most of it is different than what they’re used to. Of course, they miss their friends and family members that they’re used to seeing all the time. We try to make that easier by FaceTiming the grandparents regularly and emailing/texting/Facebooking other friends and family members when we really miss them. The time difference makes that a bit difficult since our kids are generally asleep when most children in the States are awake, and vice versa. However, we try to make it happen so that they can connect with their friends every once in awhile.

Anyway, here are some examples of how the kids are loving life abroad:

Trying out her camera at the White Temple in Chiang Rai

Enjoying our first high tea

E has been the most excited about Thailand from day 1. She couldn’t wait to see new things, learn the language, and try the food. She is doing part of our Thai tutoring with us each week, and is very enthusiastic about using her new-found knowledge. She’s doing wonderfully with homeschooling, also, and is a big helper for Scott while he tries to wrangle all three children all day.

B's first Thai haircut

Feeding the elephants

B was not nearly as excited about moving to Thailand, and I would say he is still the least enthusiastic about being here. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy living here, it’s just that he still hasn’t quite grasped how far away we are from Indiana. He often asks to see or do things that would be easy to do in Indiana, but impossible to do from the other side of the world. He also doesn’t have a great concept of time, so when we told him we were going to live here for a year, he didn’t quite understand how long that truly was.

There are many things he loves about Thailand, though. There are lots of new animals that he gets to see up close often. (Geckos in our house! Chickens across the street! Elephants!!!) He loves spending all this extra time with Scott, E, and X. He and E played together well before, but now they’re truly buddies. B has also warmed up to Thai food. Before we moved here, he didn’t like rice, eggs, or shrimp (those are staples in Thai cuisine). He now eats all three willingly, and even requests them sometimes!

Loving his first tuk tuk ride

Taking a cruise on the Mekong River

As you can see by the above pictures, X is a dare devil! He loves to try new things and has really enjoyed trying new modes of transportation in Thailand. He’s also pretty happy to be with at least one of his parents and siblings every waking moment. He loves Thai food, especially dragon fruit!

If traveling or living abroad with small children is something you’re thinking about, do it! It really is a great time to expose them to new things, and they are still young enough, and not set in their ways enough, to embrace it. We’d love to answer any questions you have before you go!