08/04/2026
I think “kids are resilient” is one of the most misunderstood parenting phrases.
It’s true.
Kids are resilient.
But somewhere along the way, we’ve started using that phrase as if resilience means they won’t struggle.
As if moving across the world, leaving behind everyone they’ve ever known, starting a new school, learning a new language, and building an entirely new life won’t affect them.
It will.
Our kids were seven and four when we moved from the U.S. to the Netherlands. They cried. They acted out. They became clingier. Some days they were excited. Other days they wanted their old life back.
None of that meant they weren’t resilient.
It meant they were grieving.
A year later, they’re thriving. They speak a new language, have wonderful friends, and genuinely feel at home here. But getting to this point wasn’t automatic. It took patience, intentional support, and giving them permission to feel both excited about what they were gaining and sad about what they had lost.
I wrote about everything we learned during that first year abroad, including the things that helped our kids adjust and the mistakes I wish we’d avoided.
If you’re planning an international move with children, or you’re in the middle of one right now, I hope this reminds you that difficult doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Sometimes it’s simply part of the process.
The full article is linked in my bio. I’d love to know: what’s the biggest transition your child has ever had to navigate?
