Reply to Best country for socially integrating kids?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Whenever I hear about people doing this I think of all the people from those same countries who chose to come to and stay in the US.[/quote]

Yes, it doesn't seem like it at times, but American kids (allllll American kids living here in America) have the best chance to be well-socialized, confident leaders. [/quote]

This is such an insular view of the world. As an American expat who has lived in 4 other countries, I can assure you the rest of the world socializes their kids just fine.  And attending private international schools abroad produces highly confident future leaders, with a broad world view.[/quote]

You mean well-connected rich kids receiving an elite education and insulating themselves from local populations as they gallivant the world in their parents exclusive international social circles have great chances of becoming leaders? Shocking.[/quote]

There are tons of ordinary people who chose a career in foreign service. They are not elites or well connected, except for very high up the chain.

There are ups and downs to the ex-pat life, but Americans that have been through that lifestyle are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. It’s easy to recognize that they and their kids are different as soon as you meet them. They are usually a much better class of human than their peers over here. [/quote]

NP. I lived abroad for a few years in my early 20s, mostly as a teacher’s assistant in American schools. A few years ago I met a new neighbor and my first thought about her was that she had “an expat vibe.” Hard to explain exactly what I mean, but expats seem to be affected by their need to settle in quickly and create community quickly in the places they live. They tend to become very generous with their offers of help and advice and open to socializing with people who are not exactly like them.

(It did turn out that she works for an international NGO and lived and studied abroad in her earlier years.)

Of the American families I knew at the American schools, there were definitely pluses and minuses to their lifestyle but I found it appealing overall. I was particularly impressed with the way they seemed to develop a sense that “home” was their connection with each other, wherever that might take place, as opposed to a single geographical place. [/quote]

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