I work with a lady from South America. Her mother tongue is Spanish and her English is weak. But we communicate well despite the language barrier.
She has been telling me that she is very homesick and naturally, I sympathize with her.
I am only able to share what she has told me so there will be no update on this story.
She married a European and they are very happy. I have never met her DH. She has been here for ten years. She was an attorney in her country prior to marriage. So, she is obviously well educated. They have three children who are all in their teens and pre-teens.
As she gets older, she feels she is getting more and more homesick. She says that her children speak Spanish with her but in all respects, they may as well be "foreign" to her. I deduce she blames the school system and their teen years.
She has never expressed marital troubles to me.
But this week, she told me that she is considering moving back to her home country for a year or longer WITHOUT her children. She explained that they don't want to move (naturally) and be in a new school with new friends. She says if she stays she will go crazy. I don't know what input her DH has on this.
I am quite shocked and don't know how to help or if she even wants help. However, I am familiar with the expat community and some people have said that these arrangements are common in their circle. Sometimes, the parent moves back with the children and sometimes, without.
Whether I can help her or not, do you think you could do this or have you heard of others where this arrangement worked?