so good to find this thread! we've been roving all over asia since our daughter was born - first in turkey, then india/nepal and finally china. she's been on a great many airplanes in her two years! our work as artists is bringing us back to our homeland of america for an entire year in 2011 - truly we're a bit trepidatious!
along the way we've had to contend with a few naysayers in our circle of aquaintence, who maintain that country-hopping is harmful to a child's development. we believe it to be quite the contrary - little Lark has learned to appreciate and accustom herself to a myriad of cultures. in order to integrate into our new neighborhoods as fully as possible, we try to approximate the lifestyle of an 'average citizen' in whatever country we find ourselves in. it's given her a chance to experience not only different places, but different ways of living.
another benefit we've found is our ability to break away from the 9 - to - 5 routine. until Lark was two, both of her parents were constantly available to her. we took various jobs which could be done in the home...photography books, visual arts tutoring, cottage industries and the like, so we could share as much of our time with her as possible in the first years.
now, as she begins to grow more independant, we work part-time jobs; my husband lectures at a university, and i teach theatrical arts to a group of small children. china provides an option for working parents that is often not available in our homeland - many families here have an 'ayi' (which literally means 'aunt'). an ayi is usually treated just like an aunt would be, as part of the family, which has given lark another adult to look to for love and guidance.
a common criticism we hear is that it's unkind to make a child forever leave their friends and familiar surroundings. in our experience, though, lark has been able to develop her confidence by learning that, wherever she goes, there will be new friends to make and new places to call home. kids are natural adventurers, and we feel that a child's sense of security can rest within herself and in her family, not just in particular places or things.
right now we're in shanghai (china), modifying mopeds to pull small covered wagons. later this year we'll travel the countryside with another family, putting on an old-fashioned variety show for the residents of the villages we visit - and making a documentary of the whole affair!
we'd love to hear from other travelling families, especially those who make their way by creative means in various cultures. slots are still open for the aforementioned covered wagons if anyone wants to join us
. We have two places we call "home" and spend the school year (I'm a teacher) in one place (Alaska), and an extended holiday break and the summer in the other place (Wisconsin). We rent in Alaska, and are buying a home in Wisconsin.
Then we're going to head south and explore things none of us have. I've been around Mexico a little, but it's a big place with lots of things I haven't seen. And below it is a whole CONTINENT I've never explored! I can't wait! I'm totally stoked.
