Parenting Abroad: Stay Connected to Home While Parenting Abroad

Episode Summary In today’s episode, I do a little review of where I am with the Parenting Abroad podcast and my plans moving forward.  Listen to the end for my exciting personal news — and no, I am not pregnant. A Thousand Thank You’s Are Not Enough I decided it is time for a bit of a review of how things have been going with the show and with the other pieces that I am building for Parenting Abroad.   I have had a great time with the podcast launch. I had a chance to get to know some amazing individuals — expat parents who are also bloggers and podcasters, authors, entrepreneurs and diplomats . . . folks who are doing some incredible things.  I have learned so much, and I hope that you have too. The show has had an unbelievable reception.  Your support has made all the difference.  The kind words people have left in the reviews are so motivating.  Within 2 weeks after the launch, the podcast rose to the number one iTunes New and Noteworthy for all three of my chosen categories: Kids and Family, Education and Society and Culture.  Parenting Abroad continues to bounce around in the top ten for all of these categories — I just looked again — Still there!  I could not have done this without your continued support — a thousand thank you’s are not enough to express my gratitude. Another amazing thing that I did not anticipate was how many people contacted me either to connect me to potential future guests, or to invite me to come onto their own podcasts as their guest!  That was fun! I really stepped out of my comfort zone with this podcast launch.  I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist which leads to the eventual, paralysis by analysis.  I decided to take the leap and let the chips fall where they may!  While there have been so many surprising and successful outcomes, there have also been a lot of challenges. A Very Steep Learning Curve My biggest hurdle has been with editing the audio files.  I am getting better at it but the learning curve is pretty steep.  You may have noticed some gaps in the releases, but now I have a plan for keeping things more consistent — I’ll get to that in a minute. The other struggle I have had is finding time to communicate with you outside of the podcast itself.  I started off pretty strong with sharing the episodes, but that fizzled out as the time needed for other things increased-  It is quite the juggling act, but I am getting some systems and processes in place to keep a better handle on all the pieces.  This will also free up some time for building out the website tools and resources to provide support related to the themes in the episodes. A Change in Format So now for my plan — The biggest change that I am going to make is that I will move to a season format. So rather than publishing new episodes twice a week for all eternity— I will publish for 6 weeks or so and then take a break to prepare for the next season. I also feel like my first episodes were a bit all over the place, and while I got to touch on a lot of interesting topics, I am going to try to have my future seasons focused on a more cohesive theme.  If I have something interesting to share, I may pop an episode in between the seasons, but for the most part, you can expect a break while I prepare everything for the next season’s release. This will also give me time to work on my communication and to share the incredible interviews that are already published.  I am trying out different communication channels:  Facebook, where I tend to live, Twitter, which I am trying really hard to appreciate, and Pinterest, which is an endless time-suck but so much fun!  I also have an e-mail newsletter always just one revision away from ready.  If you have signed up for it, and heard nothing but crickets chirping — I promise to end that now. I really appreciate your patience while I continue to learn and get a schedule going that I can maintain over...

Episode Summary In today’s episode, I have the honor and pleasure of speaking with Suzi LeVine, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and her husband Eric about their experience living and parenting in Switzerland as America’s most public representatives. About U.S. Ambassador Suzi LeVine Suzan “Suzi” LeVine took up her position as the United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein in June 2014. What prepared Suzi for her role as Ambassador was her diverse and non-linear career focusing on education, technology, community, innovation, travel, social responsibility, and youth outreach.  In a professional capacity, she worked at Microsoft as a Director and at Expedia as a Vice President.  Twice during her career, she was a stay-at-home mom, during which time she co-founded two non-profit organizations – an innovative Jewish community model, The Kavana Cooperative, and an advisory board for an early learning research institute at the University of Washington, ILABS – the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences. Suzi is a graduate of Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering with aerospace applications.  She and her husband have two children, with whom they enjoy hiking, biking, traveling and playing with their dog. About Eric LeVine Eric LeVine grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard College and received a degree in History in 1991.  Eric spent most of his early career at Microsoft, moving from marketing to product planning and program management.   In 2005 he formally retired from Microsoft to follow his entrepreneurial vision to create a software solution for wine enthusiasts.  CellarTracker has grown to become the leading cellar management tool with hundreds of thousands of collectors tracking more than 60 million bottles. Since 2014, Eric has served alongside his wife, representing the U.S. in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.  His days continue to be filled with the attention to his business venture, ongoing philanthropic work and caring for the couple’s two children.   About the U.S. Embassy in Bern The Embassy of the United States in Bern manages the official relationship between the United States and the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein.  In addition to the Department of State, several other U.S. agencies are represented in the Mission including the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. U.S. diplomacy in Switzerland and Liechtenstein seeks to promote strong bilateral ties with our hosts and to advance U.S. policy objectives in the heart of Europe.  The Embassy issues visas to travelers and provides protective and emergency services to the American community living and traveling in Switzerland.  The U.S. Mission accomplishes these goals by engaging with counterparts and affiliated organizations in the Swiss Government and the Principality of Liechtenstein and by reaching out to the Swiss public with cooperative projects, educational exchange programs and an active program of public information. Links Mentioned in the Episode  U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland Follow Ambassador LeVine: * Suzi G. LeVine on Facebook (ambsuzi) * @AmbSuzi on Twitter * The LeVine Line – The Official Blog of Suzi LeVine, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein *

Episode Summary In today’s episode, I talk to food blogger, Stacy Streuli of Swiss Eats about cooking and eating in Switzerland. About Stacy Streuli Stacy was born in Texas and spent time living in the Northeast as well as in California.  She and her husband, Oliver, decided to relocate to Switzerland where she stayed home to raise their two children, Elodie and more recent arrival, Gibson. When Elodie was 5 months old, Stacy began to make home-made baby food for her.  In this same time period, she became aware of a few food documentaries, such as Supersize Me and Food, Inc. These opened Stacy’s eyes to the realities of food production and started her on a path of research and experimentation resulting in a “whole foods” lifestyle that benefits her family and our environment. The Streuli family now lives in a peaceful village, where they are able to raise chickens and enjoy the bounty of local, organic produce.  Stacy has woven her own food journey into a wonderful blog called Swiss Eats. About Swiss Eats Stacy’s goal with this website is to share info, tips, and tricks learned from cooking in Switzerland for the last 10 years. After years of trial and error, years of asking “What is this in German?” and “Where do I buy XYZ?” Stacy has become what a friend jokingly called “an oracle” of food knowledge.  With Swiss Eats, we get to benefit from Stacy’s decade plus of experimentation! The blog brings to the English-speaking expats in Switzerland easy-to-follow recipes that have been developed or adapted specifically to fit Swiss produce, meat, and budgets.  Many British/Australian/American recipes found on the major websites and in the magazines and cookbooks assume a few things – 1. That you have access to any type of produce year-round, 2. That meat is plentiful and cheap, 3. You can pop down to the market and buy “common” ingredients (which end up sending most expats down a rabbit warren of specialty markets and mail-order!) With these common frustrations in mind, Stacy has assembled and ever-growing collection recipes that use LOCAL, SEASONAL INGREDIENTS, and she shows us how to SAVE MONEY when shopping in Switzerland!

Episode Summary Stacy Steuli and her Swiss husband gave up hectic Los Angeles for the serenity of life in Switzerland.  She shares their adventures as a young married couple, and now as parents in the Zürcher Oberland. About Stacy Streuli Stacy was born in Texas and spent time living in the Northeast as well as in California.  She and her husband, Oliver, decided to relocate to Switzerland where she stayed home to raise their two children, Elodie and more recent arrival, Gibson. When Elodie was 5 months old, Stacy began to make home-made baby food for her.  In this same time period, she became aware of a few food documentaries, such as Supersize Me and Food, Inc. These opened Stacy’s eyes to the realities of food production and started her on a path of research and experimentation resulting in a “whole foods” lifestyle that benefits her family and our environment. The Streuli family now lives in a peaceful village, where they are able to raise chickens and enjoy the bounty of local, organic produce.  Stacy has woven her own food journey into a wonderful blog called Swiss Eats. About Swiss Eats Stacy’s goal with this website is to share info, tips, and tricks learned from cooking in Switzerland for the last 10 years. After years of trial and error, years of asking “What is this in German?” and “Where do I buy XYZ?” Stacy has become what a friend jokingly called “an oracle” of food knowledge.  With Swiss Eats, we get to benefit from Stacy’s decade plus of experimentation! The blog brings to the English-speaking expats in Switzerland easy-to-follow recipes that have been developed or adapted specifically to fit Swiss produce, meat, and budgets.  Many British/Australian/American recipes found on the major websites and in the magazines and cookbooks assume a few things – 1. That you have access to any type of produce year-round, 2. That meat is plentiful and cheap, 3. You can pop down to the market and buy “common” ingredients (which end up sending most expats down a rabbit warren of specialty markets and mail-order!) With these common frustrations in mind, Stacy has assembled and ever-growing collection recipes that use LOCAL, SEASONAL INGREDIENTS, and she shows us how to SAVE MONEY when shopping in Switzerland!

Episode Summary In this Q&A episode, I answer Stephanie’s questions about when to focus on teaching kids about America and being American.  Stephanie asks: When, besides holidays, do you find time to teach your kids about being American? I have outlined 5 techniques that we use in our family. Method 1:  Everyday’s a Holiday A holiday is a time that we take to remember, commemorate or celebrate some aspect of our collective heritage, perhaps a historical event, a person or group or an an ideal.  What goes into the observation itself varies from holiday to holiday, but may involve such things as eating certain foods, re-telling stories, special prayers, playing games, watching seasonal TV shows or movies, dressing up, decorating, music, singing and dancing.  The list goes on and there are many variations from state to state, and family to family. In the case of the bigger national holidays, the observation is so significant that a whole day is given to it!  As expats we do not always have the option to celebrate on the actual day of the holiday, but many of us will go to great lengths to recreate a traditional Thanksgiving or 4th of July event on the weekends around these holidays.  Not everything has to be a big fuss though.  We can take that same spirit to create smaller observances.  And this technique it is not just for official holidays, but for any cultural reference we may choose to highlight.   I have outlined a little example to show how we do it. April is the beginning of baseball season.  So choose a time a focus on this with your kids . . . say “Opening Day” of baseball season. Now we have a theme for the day and we can integrate little things into our daily activities.  Using our kids’ ages as a guide, we pick a few activities or reference points to weave into the daily routine.  For example, we could have hot dogs for dinner, make homemade cracker jacks for snack. Teach the kids to sing “Take me out to the ball game” while your are cooking, or just have it playing in the background.  I am no athlete, but some might choose go out to play catch, or set up rocks to “run the bases.”  Amazon has a ton of baseball related kids books for Kindle so it easy to select one that the kids find interesting and appropriate to their reading level.  If it is screen time, we might watch the “Bad News Bears” or since mine are older, “A League of Their Own.” Jacob might prefer to play a baseball themed video game.  Throughout the day, I try to sprinkle the conversation with themed vocabulary and idioms.  If Emma brings home a good grade or piece of work from school, instead of saying “great job” I say “You really hit it out of the park.” or if she is being snarky I might use a “strike” count for warnings, and explain where that comes from. Theming a day, is really quick and easy, it just requires a little bit of attention and a few minutes of preparation to start weaving your theme into the activities that your family is already doing. 2.  Follow your child’s lead A really easy way to find the time to inject a little Americana into your kid’s daily routine is by using their natural curiosity and interests.  So what do they enjoy?  Emma loves to reading and writing poems, so I introduced her to Shel Silverstein.  Jacob enjoys doing puzzles, so we got jigsaws with a map of Texas and a LEGO model of the white house.  Books, movies and TV shows that highlight American culture are like a spoonful of sugar when teaching kids about history and culture.  Sometimes we watch the oldies but goodies, like Little House on the Prairie. Jacob and I watched the whole John Adams miniseries together, Emma and I watched Akila and the Bee where she learned about the American phenomenon of the National Spelling Bee.  Sports fans may enjoy watching games, playing them or both, and even the non-sporty among us can enjoy rooting for the home team.

Episode Summary In today’s episode, Kay Xander Mellish draws on her 15 years of personal experience to talk to us about how to live in Denmark. Hear how to make friends as a newcomer, the benefits and drawbacks of the Danish social welfare system and why you should not expect many compliments in Denmark. About Kay Xander Mellish Kay Xander Mellish grew up in Wisconsin, a U.S. state with 5.5 million people, almost precisely the same population as Denmark. She graduated magna cum laude from New York University, where she studied journalism and art history. Her journalistic work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, Sports Illustrated, Mother Jones, the South China Morning Post, Marie Claire, and in the Danish tabloid BT. She also worked in TV production for CNN and a local New York City television station, and as an editor for ABCnews.com. Kay moved to Denmark in 2000, and worked at Danske Bank, Carlsberg Breweries and Saxo Bank before starting her own company, the KXMGroup, which helps Danish companies communicate in English. A professional voice actor, she began producing the How to Live in Denmark podcast in the summer of 2013 as a way to practice her pronunciation techniques. Since then, the podcasts have been downloaded more than 500,000 times. Guidance for Expats on “How to Live in Denmark“ The Book Are you moving to Denmark, or already living in Denmark and trying to fit in? Kay Xander Mellish, a foreigner who has lived in Denmark for more than a decade, offers a look at the joys and absurdities of daily life as a non-Dane in “the happiest country in the world.”     The Podcast Living as a foreigner in Denmark, one of the world’s most homogenous countries, isn’t always easy. In the podcast, Kay relates her thoughts about Danish current events, and offers tips on how to find someone to talk to and how to find something to eat.

Episode Summary In today’s episode, I am joined by Dr. Candice L. Robinson, a medical officer in the Immunization Services Division of the CDC.  We talk about how to coordinate immunization practices across borders to support our children’s long-term health. About Candice L. Robinson, MD, MPH Dr. Robinson received her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed her residency training in Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She completed a General Academic Pediatrics fellowship at Vanderbilt University, during which she obtained her Masters of Public Health. She began her public health career with the CDC as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer assigned to Arizona Department of Health Services and Maricopa County Department of Public Health. She is currently a medical officer in the Communication and Education Branch of the Immunization Services Division, within CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD).  In her current position, she has coordinated the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule Work Group of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and provides immunization education to providers through webinars and land courses.

Episode Summary Stephanie shares her experience living in a small town on the outskirts of Zurich.   We discuss the ins and outs of daily life with her husband and 2 elementary school-aged daughters.  Stephanie talks to me about Swiss lifestyle and culture and how she stays connected to home. About Stephanie Stephanie is the proud mother of two little girls (who are growing up way too fast) and operates SUPERGRACE, a web design service based in Zürich, Switzerland. She is passionate about creating big websites for small businesses. Stephanie has a range of experience designing and implementing websites for nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and established small businesses. When she is not working she enjoys traveling with her family.

Episode Summary Audio books and podcasts have amazing benefits for those of us living abroad.  From preschoolers  to avid readers, there is something for everyone.  Visit www.parentingabroad.com/book to test drive Audible, and receive your first audiobook FREE.* About Audible Audible is a membership service that allows you to purchase audiobooks at a significant discount.  New customers to Audible can receive a one month free subscription including free audiobook of choice.  For your Audible trial, visit my affiliate link.*     In this Episode, You Will Learn: * What audio content is * How to access both free and paid audio content * Why audio content is beneficial for multilingual children * How audio content can keep us “connected to home.” * How you can receive your first book from Audible FREE.* Links and Resources Referenced in this Episode: FREE AUDIO BOOK OFFER*: Get a FREE audiobook download and 30 .day free trial.  Hundreds of thousands of  titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. *This is an affiliate link.  That means if you sign up for your free trial using my link*, I will receive a commission from Audible.  I have been a faithful customer of Audible for many, many years, and I highly recommend the service, regardless of the commission.  The commissions that I am paid help to offset the expenses of running the website and the podcast.  Thank you for using my affiliate link!*

Episode Summary Lisa Ferland shares her experience living in Stockholm, Sweden with her husband and 2 pre-school children.  We talk about the Swedish lifestyle and culture, differences in schooling, and how Lisa balances her American heritage with assimilating to life in Stockholm. About Lisa Ferland Lisa Ferland has a Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology from Emory University, which she almost threw out the window when she quit her job to focus on her entrepreneurial endeavors and work as a public health consultant. She thoroughly enjoyed her two-second commute from her bedroom to her kitchen—where the majority of this book was pulled together. While living abroad, Lisa had her second birth in Sweden where she hypnotized her way to an unexpectedly pain-free, natural, and unassisted home birth. If you’d like to follow her personal story, Lisa’s blog can be accessed here.     Stories of Pregnancy, Birthing and Raising Kids Abroad   Pregnancy and childbirth can be stressful at times but when you add in the extra obstacles created by language and cultural barriers, then life becomes even more complicated and interesting. In Knocked Up Abroad parents share their true stories and experiences.  The result is a sometimes shocking, sometimes hilarious collection that highlights the universal joys and challenges of parenting.     Links and Resources Referenced in this Episode: * Knocked Up Abroad Website * Lisa Ferland’s Personal Blog * Contributors to Knocked Up Abroad * I Am a Triangle Facebook Group * Call for Submissions for the Second Edition!

Episode Summary Lisa Ferland sits down with me to talk about her new book Knocked Up Abroad.  We dive into just a few of the stories parents have share about their experience with pregnancy, birthing and raising kids abroad. About Lisa Ferland Lisa Ferland has a Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology from Emory University, which she almost threw out the window when she quit her job to focus on her entrepreneurial endeavors and work as a public health consultant. She thoroughly enjoyed her two-second commute from her bedroom to her kitchen—where the majority of this book was pulled together. While living abroad, Lisa had her second birth in Sweden where she hypnotized her way to an unexpectedly pain-free, natural, and unassisted home birth. If you’d like to follow her personal story, Lisa’s blog can be accessed here.     Stories of Pregnancy, Birthing and Raising Kids Abroad   Pregnancy and childbirth can be stressful at times but when you add in the extra obstacles created by language and cultural barriers, then life becomes even more complicated and interesting. In Knocked Up Abroad parents share their true stories and experiences.  The result is a sometimes shocking, sometimes hilarious collection that highlights the universal joys and challenges of parenting.     Links and Resources Referenced in this Episode: * Knocked Up Abroad Website * Lisa Ferland’s Personal Blog * Contributors to Knocked Up Abroad * I Am a Triangle Facebook Group * Call for Submissions for the Second Edition!

Episode Summary In this episode, we learn about living in Germany, as I chat with educator, mom and host of the Bilingual Avenue podcast, Marianna DuBosq.  Hear how Germans take their kitchens with them, recommended software for language learning, and cultural adventures in the Black Forest. About Marianna DuBosq Marianna Du Bosq was born in Caracas, Venezuela where she spent the majority of her childhood as a monolingual speaking only Spanish.  Until one day, right before her thirteen birthday, her family moved to the United States and her adventure and passion for language learning began!  Her love for languages started with her own experience and grew into a desire for teaching others leading her to spend several years in the classroom teaching dual language learners. She is now facing the most challenging yet rewarding facet of her life, that of a multilingual parent with a mix of English, Spanish and German!   Marianna is the blogger and podcast host at Bilingual Avenue where she interviews multilingual parents sharing their best practices along with experts in the field of multilingualism providing actionable tips and strategy.  She has a Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. Support for Parents Raising Bilingual Kids Teaching your child a second language (or more) is truly one of the best gifts you can pass on to them.   Bilingual Avenue is here to help and provide you with the tools for success! Bilingual Avenue is unique, providing its audience content in three different ways:  instructive blog posts, insightful podcasts and a private community of like-minded parents raising bilingual children!   Links and Resources Referenced in this Episode: * Bilingual Avenue Community Founder’s Group * Fluenz — Language Learning: * Rosetta Stone Language Software * U.S Army Garrison Stuttgart * Skype Free Video Calling * Carnival in Germany (Fasching)

Episode Summary In today’s episode we learn the ins and outs of tax filing for Americans living abroad, and I learn how to properly pronounce FATCA.  David McKeegan joins me to answers questions from Parenting Abroad community members.  Find out: Who needs to file a U.S. tax return? What is FBAR?  What are the requirements if I am self-employed?  What happens if I renounce my citizenship? and much more. About David McKeegan David is an Enrolled Agent, an MBA, and an experienced finance professional and entrepreneur. Having grown up in Brooklyn, New York, with 5 siblings, it wasn’t until David’s second trip out of the US (an exchange program in Belgium) when David caught the travel bug. Since then, David has lived all over the world. It was while he lived in London with his wife Carrie that the idea for Greenback Expat Tax Services came to be. Year after year, David and Carrie found that filing their expat taxes was a nightmare: expensive accountants who treated them like a number, US CPAs who were well-meaning, but not up to date on the rules as they apply to expats, and lots of forms and calculations… David’s sole mission now is to find the best expat accountants across the world and recruit them to the Greenback Expat Tax Services team. FACTA and FBAR and Tax . . . Oh My! Greenback takes the hassle out of filing your US expat taxes so you can get back to your adventure abroad.  Their website is loaded with valuable free resources:  articles, webinars and tax guides written in a way that makes sense to those of us who are not CPA’s!  Greenback’s tax service gives you peace of mind to know that you have filed correctly and that you are taking advantage of all the programs available to you as an expat. In this Episode, You Will Learn: * Who needs to file a federal tax return? * What credits and exemptions are available to expats? * What to consider when planning for retirement * Should I take my name off of accounts if my spouse is not American? * What is FATCA? Which forms to I need to fill out? * How do I file as an expat who is self-employed or owns a small business? * What can I do if I have not filed a return for many years? Links and Resources Referenced in this Episode: * Greenback Expat Tax Services: www.greenbacktaxservices.com * Foreign Earned Income Exclusion – Physical Presence Test: www.irs.gov * Foreign Earned Income Exclusion – Bona Fide Residence Test: www.irs.gov * Foreign Tax Credit: www.irs.gov * Tax Treaties by Country: www.treasury.gov * Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA): www.irs.gov * FATCA Forms (Form 8939 and Form 5471): www.irs.gov * Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) a.k.a FinCEN Report 114: www.fincen.gov

Episode Summary: If you are an expat raising children in another country, or even if you are considering the option of relocating, this is the podcast for you! Get to know the story behind the show and about what prompted me, Jennifer – expat parent and now podcast host – to start this project. Living abroad and raising kids overseas is an adventure and a challenge. With this podcast we have the opportunity to learn from expert guests, interviews with other expat parents, and answers to listeners’ questions. Related Links: To have your question answered on the show on the Contact Page Read more about Jennifer and Parenting Abroad on the About Page