Parenting Abroad

This expat report is designed to enable you to share what you've learned as an expat parent with those that have yet to live abroad, and even parents that might never move overseas. Tell us all about what you've learned about raising kids while living abroad!

Which country are you reporting about?

Select One... Antigua & Barbuda Armenia Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brit. Virgin Isl. Brunei Bulgaria Burma Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China Colombia Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Rep Denmark Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gambia Georgia Rep Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malaysia Malta Martinique Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Lucia Saudi Arabia Scotland Senegal Serbia Singapore Slovak Rep Slovenia Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Trinidad & Tob. Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan UAE Uganda UK Ukraine Uruguay US Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Which country are you a citizen of?

Select One... Antigua & Barbuda Armenia Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Argentina Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brit. Virgin Isl. Brunei Bulgaria Burma Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China Colombia Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Rep Denmark Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gambia Georgia Rep Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malaysia Malta Martinique Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Lucia Saudi Arabia Scotland Senegal Serbia Singapore Slovak Rep Slovenia Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Trinidad & Tob. Turkey Turkmenistan UAE Uganda UK Ukraine Uruguay US Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe

If you live in the US, which state do you live in?

Select One... Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas Bahrain Bahrain California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Paraguay Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas US Virgin Isl. Utah Vermont Virginia Wash DC Washington Washington DC West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

What is your gender?

Female
Male

Are you a parent?

No
Pregnant
Yes

Have you ever lived abroad with kids? (Either yours or those of your significant other.)

No
Yes

If you were a parent before you moved abroad, how would you describe your parenting style before your moved to your destination country? Choose one of the following options:

Authoritarian - Strict rules that must be followed without question. Discipline is rigidly enforced.
Authoritative - Children have some input for creating rules and they are enforced more flexibly.
I wasn't a parent before moving abroad.
Permissive - Few rules enforced inconsistently.
Uninvolved - Essentially no rules and little or no concern for the needs of your children.

How would you describe your parenting style while living in your destination country? Choose one of the following options:

Authoritarian - Strict rules that must be followed without question. Discipline is rigidly enforced.
Authoritative - Children have some input for creating rules and they are enforced more flexibly.
I wasn't a parent before moving abroad.
Permissive - Few rules enforced inconsistently.
Uninvolved - Essentially no rules and little or no concern for the needs of your children.

How is being a parent in your destination country different than in your home country?

What are the strengths of your home culture's parenting style? What are the weaknesses?

What are the strengths of your destination culture's parenting style? What are the weaknesses?

Are there specific changes you have made to your parenting style while living abroad with your family? If yes, what are these changes?

If you are a single parent, what advice would you give to others considering moving abroad?

Overall, has the impact of being an expat positively influenced your parenting or negatively influenced your parenting? Why?

Do you have any advice or other thoughts about being a parent while living abroad?