Our kids are Third Culture Kids. If you're not familiar with the term. Third Culture Kid as defined by Wikipedia "refers to someone who [as a child] has spent a significant period of time in one or more culture(s) other than his or her own, thus integrating elements of those cultures and their own birth culture, into a third culture"
Reading this definition now, I'm also a bit confused if our kids are rightly to be called as Third Culture Kids or 4th culture ( if there is such term) since they are products of mixed marriage ( that makes 2 cultures) who are immersed in a different culture ( 3rd) .. and the product of all these mixed together must be the 4th culture right? So, what does that make of our kid? A confused one, I guess.. hahaha! Just kidding!
Somehow our Li'l girl has her own way of explaining herself. When asked ( at different times) what's her nationality her answers would range from , Indian, Filipino, Pindian, English.. There's even a mixture of languages in the sentences that she used.. a few words of Bisaya, Tamil, Malay, English and Thai but she has never mastered any other language apart from English.
Anways, it's great to have a 3rd Culture kid. There are many things that they know esp. in terms of culture, language and geography that a normal child won't get a chance to learn. They can be more sensitive to people (due to a wide exposure with different people) and their needs. But I guess the challenge will be when they grow up is 'fitting in' especially they are like 'global nomads' who don't have a a culture that is 100% they can call their own.
I guess for me as a parent, it'll be more challenging raising up a TCK too. That's why I'm trying to get some materials for me to prepare my children for the future challenges ahead. But ultimately, with God's help and grace, we will be able to overcome all these challenges in victory as long as our aim is to mold them the way God wants them to be.
Reading this definition now, I'm also a bit confused if our kids are rightly to be called as Third Culture Kids or 4th culture ( if there is such term) since they are products of mixed marriage ( that makes 2 cultures) who are immersed in a different culture ( 3rd) .. and the product of all these mixed together must be the 4th culture right? So, what does that make of our kid? A confused one, I guess.. hahaha! Just kidding!
Somehow our Li'l girl has her own way of explaining herself. When asked ( at different times) what's her nationality her answers would range from , Indian, Filipino, Pindian, English.. There's even a mixture of languages in the sentences that she used.. a few words of Bisaya, Tamil, Malay, English and Thai but she has never mastered any other language apart from English.
Anways, it's great to have a 3rd Culture kid. There are many things that they know esp. in terms of culture, language and geography that a normal child won't get a chance to learn. They can be more sensitive to people (due to a wide exposure with different people) and their needs. But I guess the challenge will be when they grow up is 'fitting in' especially they are like 'global nomads' who don't have a a culture that is 100% they can call their own.
I guess for me as a parent, it'll be more challenging raising up a TCK too. That's why I'm trying to get some materials for me to prepare my children for the future challenges ahead. But ultimately, with God's help and grace, we will be able to overcome all these challenges in victory as long as our aim is to mold them the way God wants them to be.
1 comment:
I'm a 3rd culture kid too - it is a very interesting phenomenon. I was just thinking of using this as a blog topic soon. Sometimes I feel a bit lost between here and there - no matter which continent I'm on, people ask me where I'm from. It's never clear. I've lived in the US for longer than I lived in Africa, but I'm still not American. And I'm not African.
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