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You are here: Home / Blog / Expat Life – How To Help Your Homesick Children

Expat Life – How To Help Your Homesick Children

June 14, 2020 Leave a Comment

We are originally from the United Kingdom. Several years ago, my husband found an amazing opportunity to work abroad. We had two little boys, ages 3 years and 6 months, and we all moved to the Middle East to start our new adventure. But I underestimated the possibility of homesick children.

An expat life brings homesickness for you and your family. Help your homesick child with these simple tips and make the most of your adventure!

My homesick children

Our little family now has five members. My two boys are 7 and nearly 10. They were joined by a gorgeous little sister 5 years ago. As time has gone on, I have experienced homesickness plenty of times, but I didn’t foresee my children experiencing it. After all, the Middle East has always been home for them. Only my eldest retains fuzzy memories of our little flat back in England.

But whether this has always been their home or not, their extended family remains in England. And my children’s insistence that England is their home truly proves that home is where the heart is.

“Why are we here if our family is in England?” Khalid asked me one day. I explained about Daddy’s job and how we have all our friends here to play with.

“Yeah, but, we should be in the same place as our grandparents.”

Wise stuff from a 7-year-old, don’t you think?

An expat life brings homesickness for you and your family. Help your homesick child with these simple tips and make the most of your adventure!

They grow up so fast

What? They DO! Another cliche that shocked me with its truth. My eldest will be 10 in September. Those distant teenage years don’t seem so distant anymore, and my own mother pointed out he has spent most of his life in another country – and she’s missed it.

My daughter was born in the UK, and when she was 3 months old, I brought her back to the Middle East. When we went back to England the following summer, she was walking. The grandparents, aunties, and uncles had all missed the baby months.

Life as an expat was starting to take its toll; it felt like both my and my husband’s parents were being robbed of valuable memories with their grandchildren.

Help your homesick children – and yourself!

Now, the ultimate cure for homesickness is obvious – GO HOME. But that’s not always possible (something I quickly realised when Corona took over the world and foiled my 5-Year plan!) But there are things you can do to ease the sickness (By the way, these tips work for adults just as well as children!)

  • The wonders of technology! My kids have their own iPads (heavily controlled by Yours Truly) and they set up a group with their grandparents and their cousin. Almost every day they end up in a group video chat. My eldest even managed a game of cards with his aunty and cousin!
  • Share the memories. It may not be an easy task, but having relatives over to stay with you makes a HUGE difference. Let your family experience your new world. My kids now have shared memories in the Middle East with members of their family back home. They don’t feel so separated because of that. Now when they say they went to Villaggio Mall, their grandad knows exactly what they mean!
  • Take advantage. The reality is: there are certain things we can do here that we CAN’T do in England. The constant sun and being 15 minutes from the beach is a definite bonus. The ease of access to kid-friendly arcades is always a wonderful feature of life in the Middle East. Take advantage of what your host country offers and let the kids know it’s your new home that makes it possible.
  • Hobbies to the rescue! My eldest has recently taken an interest in origami. I’ve noticed him burying himself in scrap paper and YouTube videos when he’s upset. I asked him about it and his response was: “It calms me down when I’m feeling sad.” Hobbies for the win!
  • When good neighbours become good friends. (Let me know in the comments if you know the reference šŸ˜‰ ) But seriously, we wouldn’t have gotten through these expat years without the community of friends around us. Even my children admit to missing their friends terribly when we travel to England for the summer. Good friendships are vital for you and your children. If you’re reading this, Sunshine, you know who you are <3.
An expat life brings homesickness for you and your family. Help your homesick child with these simple tips and make the most of your adventure!
Positive Memories – Things To Do In Quarantine

Take care of yourself

It’s not fun when your child is homesick, but there are ways to help ease it for your little ones. If you’re struggling with homesickness yourself, make sure you take the time to pause when you need it!

Why You Need To PAUSE When Motherhood is Hard

Let’s connect

Get in touch or drop a comment below if you’ve ever had to battle long-term homesickness in your family!

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More content for #intactimmunesystem . šŸ‹ Freshl More content for #intactimmunesystem
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Drank on an empty stomach every morning šŸ’•
Whilst we do some major tweaking to Layla’s lear Whilst we do some major tweaking to Layla’s learning over the next few weeks, we’re making use of @khanacademykids and I’m so impressed. The quality is great, the activities engaging, and Layla is FINALLY having fun doing something related to learning.
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To give her some writing practice, we practiced writing the words she had learnt on the app.
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Overall, it was a lovely, positive learning experience!
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#homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #learnandplay #teachermum #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers #whathomeschoolinglookslike #homeschooladvice #happyhomeschoolmama #happyhomeschool
How are you getting organised for the new year? I’ve spent the last few weeks burying myself in planners, calendars and goal lists. I’m trying not to burn out before the year actually begins! Do you feel any pressure to get your projects together during the New Year?
HOW TO SURVIVE VIRTUAL LEARNING #1 So, my kids ha HOW TO SURVIVE VIRTUAL LEARNING #1

So, my kids have been learning virtually since their school closed in March because of The Virus That Shall Not Be Named.

Over this time, we’ve had our easy days and our extremely difficult days. We’ve learnt some things that make #VirtualLearning easier and things that make it a lot harder.

Here’s my first tip:

PROPS ARE YOUR FRIEND!

Does your child have a particular toy that comforts them?

Here Layla is holding her toy kitten close as she follows along with her music lesson.

It gave her hands something to do when she joined in the lesson helping her to focus and concentrate more. 

When it was time to put it aside and work, she had something to comfort her. She has found online learning pretty stressful, and having her kitten close by cheered her up and kept a smile on her face.

QOTD: Are you distance learning or virtual learning with a school?

#themagicofchildhood #parenting #childhoodunplugged #conciousparenting #parenting101 #motherhood #parentinghacks #fatherhood #parentinglife #parentingwin #motherhoodunplugged #lifeasamamma #familylife #familylifestyle #familyhood #raisingtinyhumans #lifewithlittles #kidswillbekids #familygoals
Most of the time, life is a mess. It’s not Insta Most of the time, life is a mess. It’s not Instagram-pretty. It’s chaotic. It’s stressful. It’s LIFE.

Now, whilst we all fight for organisation, it’s a process. And it won’t be perfect all of the time.

The photo above shows my desk AFTER I spent half an hour cleaning it. Swipe to see how it’s looked all week!

But when my desk is tidy, I feel calmer. I feel organised even if the rest of my house looks like a tornado hit!

All I have to do is tidy my desk and I feel less overwhelmed. But if I don’t get round to tidying it, that’s ok.

Motherhood is a constant battle against clutter. No matter how many Marie Kondo clean-outs we attempt! So we have to find that eye of the storm. That small area we can organise in a small amount of time but will help us feel mentally calm and ready to face the rest of the mess!

How is the Clutter War going in your house? Share your war stories in the comments!

#themagicofchildhood #parenting #childhoodunplugged #conciousparenting #parenting101 #motherhood #parentinghacks #fatherhood #parentinglife #parentingwin #motherhoodunplugged #lifeasamamma #familylife #familylifestyle #familyhood #raisingtinyhumans #lifewithlittles #kidswillbekids #familygoals
How do children enjoy learning? Education isn’t How do children enjoy learning?

Education isn’t something that happens to you. Education should be an active pursuit.

But for children to become active learners, they have to ENJOY learning.

And for that to happen, children must have positive learning experiences. When we put pressure on children, they become resistant. When we overwhelm children, they become resistant. 

When children resist learning, it becomes a negative learning experience.

This is my biggest fight at the moment. #VirtualLearning has become a negative learning experience for 1 out of 3 of my children. She is very young, and the virtual setup just isn’t appropriate. 

I am trying to compensate by trying to create as many positive experiences as possible.

Please drop your advice below! How can we encourage children to be active in the education whilst keeping the experience as positive as possible?

#homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #learnandplay #teachermum #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers #whathomeschoolinglookslike #homeschooladvice #happyhomeschoolmama #happyhomeschool
What are you reading aloud? I’ve decided to sta What are you reading aloud?

I’ve decided to start reading aloud again with the children. We have become engulfed by #VirtualLearning these days and we’re EXHAUSTED.

It’s draining the children and myself.

Some tea, biscuits, paints and a read aloud is just what we need!

Have you guys read Little Women? It’s actually one I’ve never read before so I’m looking forward to it 🄰

#lovereading #reluctantreaders #happyhomeschool #homeeducation #youngreaders #readingchallenge #learntoread #jollyphonics #readingtime #readingisfundamental #homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers
This is one of my favourite photos. It was taken b This is one of my favourite photos. It was taken by Umar who was only 8 or 9 at the time. He got all excited, telling me how to stand, where to look. He crouched down on the gravel trying to find the best angle.

Even now, he looks at it with pride and declares: ā€œI took that photo.ā€

Being the home educator that I am, I immediately wanted to nurture this skill and encourage him to explore his interest.

But then he lost interest.

Sometimes that happens. The minute we show enthusiasm for something, the child backs away. And that’s ok.

Maybe he will pick up a camera again and play. And when he does, I’ll do my best to play it cool šŸ˜‚

QOTD: What skills do your children take an interest in? Do you get involved and encourage them or just back away and let them explore?

#homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #learnandplay #teachermum #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers #whathomeschoolinglookslike #homeschooladvice #happyhomeschoolmama #happyhomeschool
Gardening has become a new hobby this year. Someth Gardening has become a new hobby this year. Something I wanted to do ā€œonce I moved back homeā€. I wasn’t investing in the garden I CURRENTLY have. I kept telling myself: I’m in the middle of the Arabian desert. It will be too hard to grow anything out here.

Well, these two bad boys proved me wrong!! Cucumbers freshly picked from the garden!

Invest in the time you have. Invest in the things you have. Invest in the stage you’re at.

You’ll be amazed at the possibilities that grow!

#mamaselfcare #selfcare #selflove #selfcarehacks #hobbies #myhobbies #goodattitude #trustyourself #mummytimeout #treat #gardening #greenfingers #themagicofchildhood #parenting #childhoodunplugged #conciousparenting #parenting101 #motherhood #parentinghacks #fatherhood #parentinglife #parentingwin #motherhoodunplugged #lifeasamamma #familylife #familylifestyle #familyhood #raisingtinyhumans #familygoals
Throwback to when we all got to sit in the stands Throwback to when we all got to sit in the stands at the Qatar Open and watch Djokovic and Nadal 🤩🤩

QOTD: what memorable experiences have you had as a family?

#themagicofchildhood #parenting #childhoodunplugged #conciousparenting #parenting101 #motherhood #parentinghacks #fatherhood #parentinglife #parentingwin #motherhoodunplugged #lifeasamamma #familylife #familylifestyle #familyhood #raisingtinyhumans #lifewithlittles #kidswillbekids #familygoals
How do you stay organised? Organisation is someth How do you stay organised?

Organisation is something we all strive for. And as home educating mamas, we have tried more than our fair share of planners.

But do any of them work?

Do you spend more time playing with planners than actually getting things done?

I felt like this a few months ago. All the time spent printing calendars, colour-coding to-do lists and sticking dividers together could have been spent actually getting through my to-do list!

Until I realised how calm I felt after organising everything in a planner. I felt relaxed. 

The thing is, I ENJOY playing with planners and stationery. It’s genuinely therapeutic for me and I class it as valuable ā€œMe Timeā€. Not to mention how clear my head feels once everything is down on paper and not cluttering up my mind!

Sure, it takes time when using a planner, but in doing so, the rest of my time becomes more efficient and peaceful!!

Which planner(s) do you like to use? 😘

#mamaselfcare #selfcare #selflove #selfcarehacks #hobbies #myhobbies #goodattitude #trustyourself #mummytimeout #treat #homeschoollife #homeschoollifestyle #homeschoolprep #homeschoolorganization #homeschoolplanning #planneraddict #familylife
Do you use a planner? I have spent the last few da Do you use a planner? I have spent the last few days printing and organising the CEO Life Planner from @theintentionalmomblog

When I first saw it advertised on Instagram, I jumped at it. I use A LOT of planners. But this one seemed different. Instead of just providing a calendar and a few to-do lists, Jennifer from The Intentional Mom provides a system to organise your day and your responsibilities. It even comes with training videos to help you get the most out of the planner pages!

I’m still working my through the videos, so I’ll update you all when I’m done!

Which planning system do you use?

#mamaselfcare #selfcare #selflove #selfcarehacks #hobbies #myhobbies #goodattitude #trustyourself #mummytimeout #treat #planneraddict #plannercommunity #plannerlove #lifeplanner #getorganized
Should children learn to spell phonetically? This Should children learn to spell phonetically?

This is an issue which has come up time and time again: Phonics can only take you so far with reading. But what about writing?

Should children be left to spell phonetically and learn the correct spelling later on, or should they be given the correct spelling from the very beginning?

Would love to hear your thoughts! Let me know in the comments. How do you tackle spelling?

#homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #learnandplay #teachermum #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers #whathomeschoolinglookslike #homeschooladvice #happyhomeschoolmama #happyhomeschool
Reading Time: Were They Real? By Scoular Anderson Reading Time: Were They Real? By Scoular Anderson

We had fun with this one! My kids have heard of most of the characters in this book and had a lot of fun figuring out who was actually real and who was just a story.

They also decided they wanted to learn more about the people who were real such as Cleopatra and Blackbeard.

#ChildLed learning for the win!

What did you guys read today? Let me know in the comments!

#homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #learnandplay #teachermum #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers #whathomeschoolinglookslike #homeschooladvice #happyhomeschoolmama #happyhomeschool
ā€œMummy, please can you sit and play with me?ā€ ā€œMummy, please can you sit and play with me?ā€

How long before she doesn’t ask me that anymore?

Layla has been through a tough time, so when she asked me to play with her instead of doing her schoolwork for #DistanceLearning, I said: YES!

So we missed her deadline. And I don’t care. Things have been pretty stressful and overwhelming lately, so these moments just playing Polly Pocket with my daughter we’re truly priceless.

We laughed, we played, we built things, we told stories, we told jokes. And not a worksheet in sight.

Because, before I know. She won’t ask me to play anymore.

#themagicofchildhood #parenting #childhoodunplugged #conciousparenting #parenting101 #motherhood #parentinghacks #fatherhood #parentinglife #parentingwin #motherhoodunplugged #lifeasamamma #familylife #familylifestyle #familyhood #raisingtinyhumans #lifewithlittles #kidswillbekids #familygoals
When do you find time to read? As a homeschooler, When do you find time to read? As a homeschooler, we read A LOT. But we don’t necessarily read for US. 

Here I am squeezing in a page or two whilst my youngest practiced her writing and copywork.

At first, I felt guilty. I should be completely focused on her, right? Helping her fix mistakes and offer encouragement.

But then I realised how beneficial it is for her to see me enjoying reading so much that I squeeze it in whenever I can.

It was beneficial for her to have some space to figure out her writing by herself without me hovering around her.

Because, yes, I have been doing that lately. Without realising it, I’d micro-managed Layla during her learning to such an extent she is constantly glancing at me for reassurance.

Taking a step back and simply opening my book did both of us a world of good!

Tell me I’m not the only one who struggles with this! Drop your tips below: how do you know when to step back and when to step in?

#homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #learnandplay #teachermum #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers #whathomeschoolinglookslike #homeschooladvice #happyhomeschoolmama #happyhomeschool
We planted 3 watermelon seeds at exactly the same We planted 3 watermelon seeds at exactly the same time, with exactly the same soil in each and watered them each with equal amounts of water. We then placed them all in the same spot in our garden.

1 sprouted first. Followed by a second 2 whole days later. We’re still waiting for the third.

Can you see a metaphor here?

Children can receive the same lessons, from the same teacher, in the same environment. But they process, absorb and apply and completely different times. And that’s NORMAL.

It can be frustrating as a parent, especially if we’re receiving external pressures for our children not to ā€œfall behindā€ (HATE that phrase!).

But remove that pressure from yourself and from your children.

Your little seedlings will sprout when they’re ready and not a moment before.

How do you handle external pressures? Whether you’re a homeschooler or a school parent. We all feel the pressure! How do you deal with it?

#homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #learnandplay #teachermum #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers #whathomeschoolinglookslike #homeschooladvice #happyhomeschoolmama #happyhomeschool
What mission will you set yourself this week? . Af What mission will you set yourself this week?
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After a conversation with a couple of beautiful souls, we set each other ā€œmissionsā€ for the week. My mission was to not let home education eclipse my personal goals and passions. So, I was told to try working on my novel whilst my kids did their live lessons. I didn’t hover, I didn’t micromanage, I didn’t analyse or try to improve anything. I sat back and worked on my novel whilst they were occupied!
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I was shocked how unnatural it felt to be focusing on something personal. I have my separate business I’ve been working on, and because I love my work so much, I thought that was enough.
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It wasn’t.
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I felt a spark reignite as I opened my notes and got to work on my book.
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Forever grateful to the beautiful souls who helped me with this realisation!
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#mamaselfcare #selfcare #selflove #selfcarehacks #hobbies #myhobbies #goodattitude #trustyourself #mummytimeout #treat #burnout #mamablogger #mummybloggers #homeeducationlookslikethis
I have 3 wonderful children, all praise be to God. I have 3 wonderful children, all praise be to God. But often I get caught up in looking after ā€œthe childrenā€, educating ā€œthe childrenā€ and spending time with ā€œthe childrenā€.
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It’s easy to forget that they are 3 separate, individual people with their own wants, needs and interests.
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So, lately I’ve started playing games one-on-one with each of my children.
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Layla and I play UNO, Umar and I play Monopoly Deal, and Khalid and I play Sequence.
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It’s become a wonderful time to bond, relax and have fun with each child on an individual level.
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What games do you like playing with your kids? Drop your suggestions below!
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#themagicofchildhood #parenting #childhoodunplugged #conciousparenting #parenting101 #motherhood #parentinghacks #fatherhood #parentinglife #parentingwin #motherhoodunplugged #lifeasamamma #familylife #familylifestyle #familyhood #raisingtinyhumans #lifewithlittles #kidswillbekids #familygoals
There is something I say a lot on my blog: I am mo There is something I say a lot on my blog: I am more than a homeschooler.
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Sometimes, home education can become so consuming that we find parts of ourselves slipping away.
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I felt that this week.
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I’m also a writer. I am a writer who craves getting lost in a world of my own making, bringing characters to life on the page in front of me.
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My sanity comes from pouring out my soul into a journal so I can finally breathe. 
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Earlier this week, I realised I’d neglected my inner writer as I had, yet again, allowed home education to engulf my every waking moment. 
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So, I picked up my journal again. And now, I’m breathing šŸ˜ŠšŸ’•
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Who are you when you’re not a mother or homeschooler? What hobbies or interests do you have outside your children? 
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#homeeducation #homeschoolfamily #littlelearners #learnandplay #teachermum #playbasedlearning #unschooling #learningathome #homeeducator #earlylearning #homeeducationuk #homeed #childledlearning #iteachtoo #homeschoollookslikethis #enchantededucation #homeschoolinspiration #thisishomeschool #homeschooluk #muslimhomeschool #islamichomeschool #muslimhomeschoolers #whathomeschoolinglookslike #homeschooladvice #happyhomeschoolmama #happyhomeschool
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