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The kids now think of this country as home

Carla Romano ⭐ Helpful member
31 Aug 2026, 19:33

Something happened last week that I'm still thinking about. We were talking about the summer holidays in Italy, and my youngest said, "When we go home, I mean to Austria." Home. She's lived here for three years, and that's where home is now.

I felt proud and sad at the same time. My parents in Italy would be heartbroken if they heard it. For parents whose kids started calling the new country home: how did you feel, and did it change anything about your plans?

6 replies

Ahmed Hassan ⭐ Helpful member
1 Sept 2026, 15:08

Carla, our son said exactly this last year, and my mother heard it on a video call. She was quiet for a moment and then said, "Good, it means you did it right." I think grandparents understand more than we fear. What changed for us is that we stopped talking about "going back one day" as a vague plan, because it was clear the children had already answered that question.

Olena Kravchenko ⭐ Helpful member
2 Sept 2026, 19:22

For us it is complicated. Sofiia says "home" for Cork now, and part of me is relieved, because it means she feels safe here. Another part of me wants her to keep Ukraine as home too. I've decided she can have two homes, and I say it to her often, so she doesn't feel she has to choose.

Anna Kowalski 🏆 Community expert
4 Sept 2026, 21:31

Our toddler has never known anything else, so for him it's the only home, and I'm slowly making peace with that.

Carla Romano ⭐ Helpful member
6 Sept 2026, 08:15

Olena, "two homes" is exactly what I'll say to her, and to my mother.

Elena Popescu 🏆 Community expert
9 Sept 2026, 11:37

My daughter calls Ireland home and Romania "Grandma's", which sounds sad written down but isn't when she says it.

Jimmy 🏆 Community expert Admin Premium
12 Sept 2026, 12:23

A lovely thread. Children settling this completely is usually a sign the move worked, even when it's bittersweet for the adults. Olena's "two homes" is the kind of framing that helps kids keep both, and the Family Rights and Education sections of the guides cover things like keeping a heritage language alive through school and community programmes.