Daughter Forgets Childhood Years Abroad in China and Cambodia

A family relocated from Los Angeles to China and Cambodia for a period of four years. During this time, the daughter of the family, who was three years old when they first moved, has since forgotten most of their life abroad. Now approaching the age of ten, she reportedly retains little memory of the experiences and has expressed a clear preference for her current life in Los Angeles.

The family's journey began when the daughter was three, moving from Los Angeles to China. They later relocated to Cambodia before returning to Los Angeles when the daughter was five, a change prompted by the pandemic. While the parents frequently reflect on their years living internationally, their daughter's memories of the temples, ruins, and travel experiences, such as riding in a tuk-tuk, have faded. Her current focus is on typical childhood activities in Los Angeles.

Before having their daughter, the parents had a nomadic lifestyle, meeting in Bali and spending years traveling across Asia. The decision to move abroad with their child was influenced by this past and a desire for a different life. The father, a music teacher, secured a job offer in Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China, leading to their initial move. Their daughter attended a local preschool there, where she was the only foreign child.

The family later moved to Cambodia, where the father took another teaching position. In Cambodia, the daughter attended school alongside other expatriate children. While this period offered an easier adjustment compared to China, the family regarded it as a temporary stop. The author noted concerns about older expat children who had lived in multiple countries, suggesting a reflection on the long-term effects of a highly mobile upbringing.

(Source: Business Insider)