A lot of this is common sense, but things like: her favourite stuffed animal and blanket, a storybook anthology with many familiar books that we read before bed, crepes on Saturday mornings just like at home, visiting KFC after school every day, often eating at the same neighbourhood restaurant and always ordering a bowl of plain rice for her. She seemed to like developing routines, and would ask to back to a certain park or shop. We also talked about where we’d been and where we were going to help her feel more secure.

I noticed it took about two weeks for our daughter to settle into a new place: first our apartment, and then her Chinese kindergarten. When we first arrived, she would complain about smells and new tastes and ask to go home, but that petered out and soon she found things to enjoy in Beijing.

Our kids’ need for stability and routine is a key question for us in deciding how nomadic to be and when. So I’d love to see what more experienced parents have to say, and also to learn about other resources available on this subject.

We are recently back in the States after living in Spain for a year and after the initial three months of traveling, we were all ready to find a “home” for the next six months. The girls couldn’t wait for school and its routines and social opportunities. As they were older, we also relied on Skype a lot to stay connected to friends and family in the States, and we traveled with posters full of pictures that they could put up where ever we were.

Adding routine and accommodating your kids while traveling for extended time or living abroad does change the experience but that doesn’t mean it has to be negative. It’s just different. And better than not going at all, IMO.