TCK Advantages & Challenges

Below are two links to give further insight into TCK distinctives.

Who is a Third Culture Kid? (Jo Clifford) (Audio 12:55 minutes). You will need to click the > to start it playing. Jo Clifford was born in Chad, grew up in Tanzania, and returned to the UK when she was 19. She developed the Third Culture Kid programming for MemCare Radio.

TCK Reentry in Audio-Visual Form - This video gives a little window into the life of a TCK.

TCK Advantages

Increased World Perspective — adjust and work more quickly with people from other cultures
Creative Thinking — experiences allow them to solve problems in a way that would be considered “outside the box”
World Citizens — concerned about world events, not just events impacting their home country
Worldwide Connection — often have friends from every major continent
Multilingualism
Self Entertainment — have learned to create their own fun and games

TCK Challenges

Normal Adolescence — challenging authority, additions, hormones
Identity Loss — never feeling at “home” while overseas or on furlough
Mobility — constantly moving leads to rootlessness and a reluctance to make friends
Pressure to Perform — feeling that “messing up” could result in parents not being able to do God’s work
Spiritual Warfare — children are sometimes used as an opportunity for Satan to disrupt the ministry
Educational Challenges — having to live apart from their family at boarding schools or the additional stress of having parents homeschool
Cultural Disconnect — not being aware of slang, current fashions, movie trivia, TV sitcoms…
Financial Struggles — hearing parents express concern about finances when churches or individuals stop giving financially for various reasons
Unresolved Grief

For more information: Culture and How it Affects the TCK

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