Book review: TCK books

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This week I'm spending the week at a missionary conference and I'm chairing a session on the topic of taking your kids overseas.  As a TCK (Third Culture Kid) myself I'm always interested in these sessions so it will be fun to be chairing it.  In honour of this conference I thought I'd share two books with you that I read earlier in 2011.

They are both by Marion Knell, an English writer who has done a lot of work with TCK families.  These two little books are easy to read, and while none of it might seem like radical stuff to those who have thought a bit about the topic, they are still very helpful.  Helpful because they raise some of the broad issues that families face as they move cross culturally ('Families on the move' is good to read before going o'seas).  And also the issues that families face with 'reentry', the term given to families moving back to their home culture.

I found reentry a very difficult time in my life and I think it took many years for me to regain my personal confidence and find my place in my so called 'home' culture.  'Burn up or splash down' would be useful for people who find themselves working with TCKs who are going through reentry (and for many this can be a L O N G process.  Just a small tip: 'aren't you over that yet?', is super unhelpful to say.  Because you never 'get over it'.  It's just part of who you are).  Especially teachers, youth workers, uni student workers. I know my husband has found it useful to understand TCKs when he has worked with them at uni and also on his staff team.

Comments

Bec said…
2nd comment in a few mins after none ever!We are bringing up TCKs and struggle with the visits to Aus each year. It is great to be there and we love it of course, but it always is hard coming back. We aren't misso's btw, but just people who live in a culture not their own. I'll look out for these books.
January 27, 2012 at 6:36 PM
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