Children - Expat Magazine

Are you tempted by a big adventure abroad with your family? How to be prepared and make your kids feel prepared? Your kids' age, their interests, visas, their education abroad, etc., are some of the key issues you need to consider carefully. Here are a few pointers.

As of August 2, all new parents in the Netherlands are now legally entitled to nine weeks of paid parental leave. It applies to both mothers and fathers, biological and adoptive parents, who will receive 70% of their wage from the Employee Insurance Agency during the leave. This legislation reinforces the Netherlands' reputation as one of the best places for expats to raise a family.

Are you an expat or planning to move to one of the following countries while considering to start a family in a non-traditional way? Adoption is another way to create a loving family by welcoming a child that couldn't be raised by its birth parents. However, many are disheartened due to the lengthy and expensive adoption process. Expat.com has made a list of the countries that encourage international adoption and support applicants in every step, making the process smoother and less costly.

Catherine is originally from South Africa. In 2019, she was one of the lucky few to be admitted to Calgary through the Express Entry System, along with her husband and their twin daughters. Catherine talks to us about the challenges of raising expat kinds in Canada.

From the US to Switzerland: This young mom working in finance in Switzerland tells Expat.com about her experience having a baby abroad…

For families, moving abroad with children comes hand-in-hand with much bigger questions than those faced by the single expatriate. While the decision to move children abroad can seem daunting, the influence of a new culture, atmosphere, school system and perhaps language can be enormously enriching for their life to come - and offers the kind of experience they simply wouldn't get in their native schoolrooms. Of course, there are a few key things to consider, so to help get the ball rolling, you'll find below some key things to think about if you're planning a move abroad with kids.

In the past three decades, an increase in freedom of expression of identity and growth of women's empowerment and financial independence have led to the rise in single-parent families. What's more, single parents don't compromise with a mediocre life, but they are in pursuit of their dreams, career success, and a high-standard nurturing environment for their children...

Life is slowly getting back to normal in many countries around the world as the lockdown ends. Even though health risks relating to the COVID-19 pandemic are still real, schools have also started reopening, under certain conditions. Here's an overview of what's going on around the world.

Movinga, a company which specializes in moving families abroad, has just published the results of their study on how family-friendly 150 cities around the world are. They took into consideration a total of 16 factors including quality of life in the city and the country, the unemployment levels, the quality of air, healthcare, safety, parental leave... Here are the top 5 best countries for families.

Where should you move with your family for a better quality of life? Movinga website reveals the most family-friendly cities around the globe according to different factors like safety, family policies, and many other benefits. 

For many expats, the excitement of moving to a new country and upgrading our career is lessened by the concern for the family we leave behind — especially aging parents who are more likely to be dependent on us. So how can we chase our expatriation dream while making sure our aging parents receive the love and support they deserve? I have been an expat since 2007 and lucky enough to have self-sufficient and healthy parents. However, since I am planning to continue my expatriation journey, I am continuously thinking of better ways to strengthen my relationship with my parents in spite of the physical distance between us and see to it that the older they grow, the more care and comfort they will get.

Birth control: definitely not the first thing you would think of when moving abroad. However, regulations around contraception are different in different regions of the world so it is important to know what to expect to be able to take the necessary precautions...

The current legislation in Japan is of concern to some of the highest international authorities. So much so, that foreign embassies have even started warning expats wanting to start a family in the country. Indeed, in the case of a divorce child custody can only be given to one parent in Japan. This has given rise to several cases of “child kidnapping”.

He left his office job to become a stay at home dad in Malaysia while his wife is a teacher in an international school. And he has been pretty busy since: from following people into supermarkets because he might have spotted new friends for his young daughter, to his very first dress up day… David tells us about being able to take his children swimming everyday and about the difficulty of not being the breadwinner anymore, among others.