To feel sad that my Dd will not really know what it’s like to be British

[Nochristmasvibesasofyet]

We live abroad, Dh and I both British, Dd is 6 and was born where we live. We have been ‘Back home’ a couple of times for short holidays, but mainly everyone comes to us.
Ive started to feel sad recently that she won’t experience a British childhood/upbringing, unless we move in the next few years-will it be too late then?
How important is it that we try to keep her informed of her heritage (if that’s the right word!)

Because we moved abroad before she came along and sometimes you feel different when children come along

But all of is gone. Even if you were here that childhood is gone.

Not one of my cousins children are scouring nature searching for conkers, collecting conkers, treating them, having competitions with friends on who has the champ. That activity is confined to just memories now.

The world is a changed place, the childhood is hugely different to what you would have had just as our childhood was hugely different to that of our parents...

What you need to do is immerse your children in the traditions of the country you reside, make it magical by giving the memories of your own combined with the available ✨️

Surely at only 6 she would adapt quickly and easily to the uk and forget most things? I barely remember anything pre 6

Why a curse?

We still have conker contests. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Her experiences so far in life. You learn a lot, and a lot is already set in motion by the time you're 6. Language, thought patterns, behavioural tendencies, responses to the world around you. Her life so far is already not what it might have been if she'd grown up in Britain.

Unless you’re leaving right this second, won’t she be 7 at least? I mean you can’t just drop everything and come back immediately, surely! Give me a child until he is 7 and I will give you the man (probably not but attributed to Aristotle).

Autobiographical memory starts before 6. And certainly my memories of school plays and nativities definitely exist at that age. Yes, most memory won’t be retained but that’s the same at 21! I think your memories of conkers, nativities, and general Britishness is faulty too! Jumpers for goalposts and all that. I think a British childhood was always place-specific and time-specific. South London was more spitting, knives at school and getting robbed for lunch money! Maybe the Cotswolds or somewhere still has a Famous Five/Swallows and Amazons childhood. Where are you planning to move back to?

And adapting is interesting. An adaptable child will make an excellently happy third culture child. A less adaptable child (and that is genetic, hard-wired) won’t be happy dragged all over but might do well living in the same place.

I’m not saying don’t move back. But don’t move back when your child might not be any happier doing it.

You can immerse you child in vast amounts of British culture though books and films and cartoons, as well as through food of course.
Surely you and your husband are already familiarising the child with GB through general chat, common references, and above all, the language spoken at home.

I’d not worry. It might even be said that you are giving them the best and ditching the worst, in terms of a ‘British’ upbringing (though presumably this is English, Welsh, Brit-Asian or whatever as opposed to ‘British’, given the multifarious ways being British is experienced back home).

But maybe an annual visit home is indicated now, if you really are concerned about closer links, and no doubt there are cousins and older family for the child get to know better back in Blighty.

Oh my god do you! Its a distant memory in my circles of friends. I think id be given some weird looks if I suggested it, used to be a massive part if my childhood.

Yeah, the children in my village still play with conkers, and marbles, and they play in the park, ride around on their bikes, and play in the woods that surround the village. Clearly some posters live in places where this doesn't happen anymore. But it does where I live.

Exactly. It's not a curse being British. Just another batshit comment. Obviously from someone born and raised in the UK...🙄No-one berates the British more than (some) British people. It's quite sickening really. They don't know how bloody fortunate and privileged they are. I think they should hang their head in shame to be honest. Disrespecting their own country like this.

Will they ever leave the UK though? LOL, will they heck as like!

Unless they want to go to Dubai 🙄 like some people on a recent thread!

Tbf lots of UK kids like Paw Patrol etc too!

Cold & wet? I guess...hardly Scandinavia or Eastern Europe levels of cold.

Populist parties are rising everywhere, is the UK especially bad compared to the rest of Europe and US?

Most people don’t live in villages. And I don’t know that OP plans to live in one either.

No issue with it, not for me but lots of people love that kind of life.

It doesn’t matter about the country any more than the county, town or village. We’re all from Earth, a tiny little isolated rock surrounded by nothing for trillions of miles. Why draw little lines everywhere ?

If you had lived somewhere else, you’d feel it! It’s not that the UK has a hugely distinctive culture when you are here, more that when you are living somewhere other than here there are a million little things that are very slightly “wrong” - even if you are living somewhere great that you love.

Hmm...so his father chose to raise his children here but didn't want them to feel British first and foremost? Not sure if I agree with that. I think if you move somewhere permanently you should commit that country first.

Tbf conkers are maybe more a rural thing? My mother has memories of it but living in a fairly urban London area it wasn't something on my radar.

Exactly! If life here is so terrible, why do people from Asia to Europe to Africa to US want to come here?

Things may not be easy here. But at least now, is that really true for anywhere?

I still firmly believe that Britain is one of the best countries in the world.

Yes they do! Though it was hard to get used to the UK dubbed voices (they are totally different! Skye is definitely not welsh in the Canadian version)

It is really obviously set in smalltown coastal British Columbia though, if you have ever been there. With the volunteer firefighters and general store etc. Plus the whole focus on friendships and working together and valuing everyone’s contributions is really really Canadian.

How many countries have you lived in? Travelled in? You can believe the UK is one of the best but you have to define your terms!

Billions of people aren’t moving here after all.

I’d say it’s good for temperate weather, lack of disasters, lack of predators, general conveniences (running water etc.) but is going downhill in certain ways… The roads are getting worse, the division and anger in politics is terrible. COL keeps getting worse. Housing is shockingly underfunded. The rich/poor gap is crap. Social services are creaking but Brits want to be low tax, high service. Pick one, because you can’t have both.

All in all, pretty good, but not best.

I grew up in a sussex village in the 80s and it wasn’t a thing for us either.

Will they though? And if they DO go, will they stay? Rather them than me! I wouldn't go there if you paid me!

Billions of people aren't moving ANYwhere.

Silly comment. 🙄

You keep bashing the UK if it makes you feel better.

You won't leave though. Deep down you know how fortunate you are! Check your privilege!