Parents Moving Abroad Continuously: How Do You Educate Your Children?

I am very curious about those parents who, for various reasons, need to move frequently from one country to another. Do you choose to conceal or question your own parenting styles in order to integrate locally or meet local parenting expectations? In the process of integration, do you gradually lose sight of your own cultural identity (such as values, language, way of thinking, etc.)? How do you cope with this?

Sharing an example: I have a German-Brazilian friend who moves countries intermittently: She lived in Germany at 21; lived in Romania with her husband from ages 22 to 31 (where her child was born); moved to Australia with her husband and child from ages 31 to 40; and at age 41, the family moved to Austria for a year. They plan to move back to Romania within the next five years.

Her state of mind is that every time she arrives in a new country, she feels quite confused because she isn't clear about the local parenting expectations. Consequently, she reflects more on herself and compares her approach with the local parenting style. To help her deaf child integrate better, she chose to speak only English at home; however, she is now gradually realising the downsides of the child’s limited exposure to Brazilian culture.

Even though she has been in Australia for nine years and is very satisfied with the environment, education, and medical care, she still feels a lack of belonging. Nevertheless, she tries her best to create opportunities for her child to connect with her Brazilian cultural identity, such as cooking Brazilian food, taking them to Brazilian churches, doing Brazilian dances at home, and so on.

The Question: For parents who have had similar experiences of frequent transnational living, what do you think of your own method of integration? How do you find the balance between integrating into the local culture and maintaining a connection with your culture?