resources | Rachel Pieh Jones

6 Third Culture Kid Links

Last week’s post 15 Things I Want to Tell My Third Culture Kids brought a tidal wave of traffic to Djibouti Jones, and a tidal wave of emotion. Thank you for sharing your hearts and for coming alongside mine. Speaking of TCKs, all three of mine will be in our house by lunchtime today (assuming Kenya Airways continues to out-do Daallo airlines when it comes to timeliness), sitting at the table, scraping their filthy feet against my shins while I try to squirm out of reach.

So in honor of boarding school kids returning home and to give you some weekend reading material, here are some rich TCK resources.

Celebrating Third Culture Kids

1. Denizen, a site for Third Culture Kids and chock full of articles, stories, ways to connect, advice… Here is what they say: “Denizen is an online magazine dedicated to today’s Third Culture Kids. It represents the modern global nomad community, complete with attitude, expression and creativity.”

2. Third Culture Kids, the experience of growing up among worlds This book by David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken is a must for parents raising TCKs. Even for grandparents or close friends who want to offer support and understanding. I refer to it often, sometimes simply to wrap myself up in the words of wisdom.

3. TCK World “The Official Home of Dr. Ruth Hill Useem, who first coined the term “Third Culture Kids.”

4. So Where’s Home? A 9-minute video. I’ve watched this a number of times.

5. Sheryl O’Bryan I confess that I have not had time to peruse Sheryl’s website, I just encountered her blog via a comment she left on the 15 Things post. I loved the way she said, “TCKs are my people group” and so now I plan to spend some time myself looking at what she provides on the site. I’ll also send you over, to see what you can see.

This is what she says: “I used to live in Africa but now I live in Colorado and travel the world taking care of anything and everything that has to do with Third Culture Kids!”

6. Painting Pictures of Egypt by Sara Groves. This song makes me cry almost every time I hear it and my oldest daughter has latched on to it as well. When I first heard it, I thought Groves was a TCK, she captured things so well. Turns out she isn’t, she is from Minnesota (!) but it is still a beautiful song. I love a lot of her songs, most of them recommended by my creative, talented, and deep cousin-in-law of Pieh’s Preserves. From Alaska to Djibouti, we couldn’t live further opposite lives but our hearts are knit ever closer and I think that encapsulates so much of the TCK life.