Third Culture Kids Live In Between

Last week on the blog I wrote about the experience so many TCKs have of growing up in “the in-between” and why understanding this is crucial to understanding the TCK life overall.

This week I have a new infographic for you, collecting some quotes and statistics from Misunderstood that illustrate a little of how the in between can look in the lives of TCKs.

One thing I chose to highlight in this infographic is the impact of having an immersion experience in one’s host country. One thing my research has shown is that the percentage of TCKs having immersion experiences is dropping over time. A TCK who is not immersed in their host country is almost by definition living in-between at all times - they are partly in their host country, but not completely. Perhaps it’s that their friends aren’t local, or that they don’t speak the language fluently, or both. Perhaps they move too often to settle into any given place.

This change is only one of several signs that more and more “the in-between” is the real place where TCKs are growing up. With greater access to internet worldwide, many spend a significant percentage of their leisure time investing in relationships with friends and family who live far away. That’s time that isn’t invested locally - and increases the in-between nature of their lives.

Living in-between isn’t a bad thing! But it is a significant aspect of what TCK childhood looks like for many, and these trends suggest it will continue to grow in significance as the 21st century continues.