Going home is never easy, particularly for teenage children. We give some guidelines to help make the transition smooth.

The phrase "going home" evokes strong emotions for the repatriating family, none more so perhaps than for the repatriating teenager for whom until now home has always been where his globally mobile parents happen to be living at that moment.

So-called Third Culture Kids (TCKs) are raised in a culture that lies somewhere between their parents' native culture and that of the country in which they are based. Such children develop a sense of belonging both to their host and passport cultures, but do not have a sense of total ownership in any culture. When asked where they are from, they often respond with a question: "Do you mean where I was born or where I live now?"

Repatriation is a double challenge for teenagers: not only are they having to cope with the traumas of adolescence, they are also having to face loss of identity and displacement on their return.

 Many TCKs, although well-versed in foreign affairs and travel from their overseas life, are at a big disadvantage when it comes to the practical life skills required for living in their home country. They might not know how to use public transport, manage money and have a holiday job, for example.

A recently-repatriated 15-year-old TCK from Islamabad to Ireland described his reactions to repatriation. "Everything was different, the culture and the people," he said. "There was huge consumerism after living in a country like Pakistan. I missed the lack of rules, the way everything overseas was much more laid back. I also missed the diversity of such a big country and the fascinating travel experiences.

"I felt slightly out of place, because I feel I’m a bit more open minded and six months into repatriation, I don’t miss the old life as much now, though I still miss my friends."

The repatriating TCK faces multiple losses: loss of the country and lifestyle they have been living in, loss of close friendships and loss of identity. Wherever there is loss in life, there will always be grief, and this will be the most profound emotion the TCK will experience on repatriation.

It is imperative that parents and managers responsible for their repatriation understand that these emotions are very real and frightening and should not go unrecognised.

Many companies wrongly assume that repatriation is by far the easiest part of the posting, requiring little if any provision of support for the repatriating family.

And as the cost to companies in providing more support and training for repatriates is overall a comparatively small expense when compared to the huge expenditure that a failed expatriate assignment can cost the company, it is imperative that human resources personnel pay equal attention to the services and support they offer to repatriating personnel as they do to expatriating employees.

Do not be disillusioned: repatriation is more commonly referred to as reverse culture shock. Expatriate author Robin Pascoe puts it thus: "Repatriation is like when you feel like you are wearing your contact lenses in the wrong eye, everything looks almost right."

How to help them re-adjust

There are a variety of positive strategies companies can adopt to make the teenage repatriation process less daunting, and the total family repatriation a more positive experience.

• Provide information and supporting manual to both the parents and teenagers before they leave on their posting. Research the country and the school the teenager will be attending thoroughly, in particular highlighting services the school may provide such as counsellors and voluntary activities.

• Provide a questionnaire to be completed pre-assignment, detailing education, interests etc, and following up on this information during the assignments and several months before repatriation to check that information on file is still current.

  For example, while overseas the TCK may have been following the International Baccalaureate system and wish to continue on their return. Research educational facilities in the area to which they are returning, providing a list of options, specialist subjects and costs that enable the child to build up a portfolio of options.

• Provide guidelines for returning potential university students, including approximate costs of tuition, accommodation and entitlements.

• Set up a support network for contact between families/adolescents who have recently repatriated to those who are in the process of repatriating.

• Provide a list of useful books, websites and contacts of expatriate coaches and other professionals.

• Pay for or make a contribution towards the cost of a repatriation programme for the TCK.

Farnham Castle, the international briefing and conference centre in Surrey, UK, runs a unique programme for repatriating families and teenagers.

Marketing Director Jeff Toms says the programme is popular and necessary because repatriating with teenage children is particularly difficult, especially if they have been away for a long period or have been living in a dramatically different culture.

"Unhappy children almost certainly mean an unhappy homecoming," he said.

Farnham Castle (www.farnhamcastle.co.uk) has successfully introduced programmes for children from 8 to 18 for both expatriation and repatriation. These programmes provide invaluable support to both parents and offspring in dealing with a challenge that could have irreparable damage for all concerned.

Remember that 90 percent of TCKs choose to return to expatriate life, and if the needs of today’s TCKs are acknowledged and provided for, the companies are well advanced in laying foundations for the guaranteed success of their future expatriate workforce.

June 2003