Third grade teacher at an international school, adult TCK and parent to her own TCKs, Valerie Besanceney truly understands the stress children experience subsequent to one or both parents agreeing to a job relocation in a new country. Her first book “B at Home: Emma Moves Again” is a child-friendly guide that identifies the issues that frequently arise when the decision to move is made. “My Moving Booklet” takes this information further into the personal sphere by encouraging the child to recognise how they are feeling at different stages of the relocation process. By completing the workbook, the child communicates their current fears (losing their friends, missing favourite, familiar places) and their fears about the future (new school, not knowing anyone, unfamiliar neighbourhood).

At three intervals during the relocation process the workbook suggests that the child make a list. Each list incorporates a column of cons (negative expectations and experiences) balanced by the column of pros – the good things that have taken place in their lives. The end goal being that the child is able to reflect on the aspects of their lives that they enjoyed in their ‘old place’ and over a period of six months, discover that their new home location offers comparable experiences to enrich their young lives and give a sense of (temporary) belonging.

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