I’m not a Third Culture Kids but I’ve raised three of them. I needed to learn, understand empathize, educate myself. So I threw myself into books and blogs, articles and friendships. Here are some of the best resources I’ve found that helped me navigate this aspect of my expatriate life.
Make sure you don’t miss any new resources when I send them out
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Books
- Finding Home: Third Culture Kids in the World
- Third Culture Kids by David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken
- Between Worlds: Essays on Culture and Belonging, by Marilyn Gardner
- Worlds Apart: a Third Culture Kid’s Journey, by Marilyn Gardner
- Raising Up a Generation of Healthy Third Culture Kids, by Lauren Wells
- Unrooted Childhoods: Memoirs of Growing Up Global, edited by Faith Eidse and Nina Sichel
- Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere: Insights into Counseling the Globally Mobile, by Lois Bushong
- Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century, by Tanya Crossman
- The Ultimate Guide to TCK Living, by Tayo Rockson
- Letters Never Sent: a Global Nomad’s Journey from Hurt to Healing, by Ruth Van Reken
Websites
- Kaleidescope, resources, gatherings, and information about and by TCKs
- Families in Global Transition, resources for the whole family
- Dr. Rachel Cason, using stories to find healing and community
- TCKidNow a social networking platform. “TCKid’s mission is to increase and support the individual and general awareness of the TCK experience and unique gifts by facilitating connection and community engagement.”
- Heidi Tunberg provides a searchable database of resources
- Cultural Transplants another comprehensive list of resources
- UYD Use Your Difference, a global network of international people pursuing excellence
- Denizen, an online magazine for TCKs
My Articles
- Who are Third Culture Kids?
- 15 Things I Want to Tell My Third Culture Kids
- A Letter to the Grandparents of My TCKs
- Are Missionary Kids Missionaries, Christianity Today
- What Not to Say to the Parents of Boarding School Kids, Brain Child
- Third Culture Kids and Re-Entry Questions
- Tips for TCKs Going on College Tours
- Tips for the Parents of TCKs Going on College Tours
- What is an Expatriate Family?
Funny TCK Stuff
- Funny Things Third Culture Kids Say (and read the comments)
- 25 Things Only a Third Culture Kid Would Understand
- 31 Signs You’re a TCK
Resources about Abuse and Third Culture Kids
- The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. A novel, yet it rings deeply true on many levels. The person who loaned this to me almost two decades ago said, “If you go to Africa, don’t you dare live like this.” I like to think we haven’t. There is so much to wrestle with here.
- Between Worlds, by Marilyn Gardner, about her experiences growing up in Pakistan and boarding school. Also, Worlds Apart, which digs deeper and goes into vulnerable places. I love her words.
- Rachel Cason’s site: Explore Life Story
- Amy Young lists 8 resources for expats walking through darkness at A Life Overseas.
- Finding Home, Third Culture Kids in the World, especially the essay by Sezin Koehler
- Letters Never Sent, by Ruth Van Reken
- Misunderstood, by Tanya Crossman
- The Story Women Need to Tell, about sexual harassment. We need to lead our kids in conversations about harassment and abuse, so they will know their stories are safe to tell and that they are not alone.
- The Trouble with Third Culture Kids, by Nina Sichel Nina also has an article in this incredible book, Writing Out of Limbo, about growing up abroad.
- Noggy Boggy writes candidly about his experience with mental illness and life as a TCK.
- Time Doesn’t Heal Assault if Victims are Silenced
- 12 Resources for Churches (and others) to Prevent Sexual Assault
- How to Really Talk about Mental Illness
- Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere : Insights into Counseling the Globally Mobile by Lois Bushong