Can we start a forum...

[Carmen]

Can we start a forum called "Expats"? Perhaps under "Finding Your Tribe"? I think that there are quite a few of us here who are not living in our country of origins, and with that comes issues of language and cultural adjustment. It might be nice to have a place to gather where we can talk about some of these things and understand the impact it has on our parenting.

Also, could we have a forum in the "Parenting" section called "Bi/Multilingual Children"? There are plenty of things to discuss and questions to be raised and answered with regards to this.

What do you think Cynthia?

[Carmen]

What do others think?

[1jooj]

I'm one-third of a bicultural, multilingual household. Since my son is so small, most of our "issues" thus far have been more about intolerance on the part of my family member(s).
I would certainly appreciate a place to discuss some of the things I am sure will be happening...and I think I might get some vicarious international living experience (which I SO miss) as part of the bargain.

[sarenka]

yes please yes please yes please

[Cynthia Mosher]

Re: Expats & Bi/Multilingual Children forums?

Originally posted by Carmen
Can we start a forum called "Expats"? Perhaps under "Finding Your Tribe"? I think that there are quite a few of us here who are not living in our country of origins, and with that comes issues of language and cultural adjustment. It might be nice to have a place to gather where we can talk about some of these things and understand the impact it has on our parenting.[/i]

Feel free to start a thread in FYT for Expats or request a country thread so that we can place it in the list of Regions.

Originally posted by Carmen
Also, could we have a forum in the "Parenting" section called "Bi/Multilingual Children"? There are plenty of things to discuss and questions to be raised and answered with regards to this.

What do you think Cynthia?

With this one I'm a bit hesitant to open up a whole separate board. I think a thread of discussion about Multilingual Parenting within the Parenting Issues board would be sufficient. If it is a highly discussed topic it will remain on the first page so will always be afloat and visible. And if it is not an active discussion and falls off page 1 then setting up a board for it would be a bit frustrating for us due to the subsequent inactivity and make us reconsider its need.

I hope I don't sound like a party pooper. We are a multicultural family and we speak two languages in our household. So I know what you are feeling and why you'd appreciate such a board. So let me make the same offer as I do to all such requests. Start a thread and get to discussing. Try to keep it busy, promote it, encourage participation. If we see it is consistently active then it will deserve its place in the sun amongst the other boards and we'll be glad to comply.

[Carmen]

I would like to let you know of a Yahoo group that I moderate called "AP-Expat-Moms".
This group is for those parents living outside their home countries who
are interested in Attachment Parenting. This is a safe and friendly place
for us to come together and talk about our parenting experiences in foreign
lands.

"Attachment Parenting is a philosophy based in the practice of nurturing
parenting methods that create strong emotional bonds, also known as secure
attachment, between the infant and parent(s). This style of parenting encourages
responsiveness to the infant or child's emotional needs, and develops trust
that their emotional needs will be met. As a result, this strong attachment
helps the child develop secure, empathic, peaceful, and enduring relationships."
-Attachment Parenting International website

Currently there are 10 active members with some interesting discussions
going on. If you would like to join us, just go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AP-Expat-Moms/

If this group is of interest to you, I hope to see you there!!!

Carmen Crenshaw-Hovey
US citizen in Zurich, Switzerland
SAHM of Sam 7 & Aleksander 3

[EdnaMarie]

Cough, cough, hint, hint.

[EVC]

Hi Izobelle, we have been promised a multicultural/international famillies subforum in the near future, so I imagine such discussions as "Bi/Multilingual Children" will take place. I am told it is coming soon

[EdnaMarie]

International families would be cool. I'm thinking more of the no-access-to-nutella-or-peanut-butter-or-brown-sugar issues as well as the language issues. I'll probably be haunting both forums, if we ever do get out expat forum.

Maybe "International, Multicultural, and Expatriate Sub-Forum" would work?

I think that a number of our expat families are mono-cultural so just multi-cultural wouldn't really do it since they have different issues.