Raising Kids Across Three Countries as an Expat Parent

Raising Kids Across Three Countries as an Expat Parent

Raising Kids Across Three Countries as an Expat Parent

August 18, 2026

No village, no family down the street, and parenting advice that contradicts itself in two languages. Sasha Romary, who became a mother in France, Singapore, and Germany, shares what actually helped her family build a sense of home across three very different systems.

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BECOMING A FIRST-TIME MOTHER FAR FROM FAMILY

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Sasha Romary moved to Paris as a teenager and never really left. Years later, becoming a first-time mother there meant navigating pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood almost entirely without her own family nearby, and largely in a second language. The transition into motherhood, she says, underlined all the ways she still wasn't quite French, even after a decade in the country.

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WHAT PARENTAL LEAVE ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE FOR A BUSINESS OWNER ABROAD

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As a business owner, Sasha was able to take four fully paid months of maternity leave under French policy at the time, longer than what most Americans have access to at all. French parental leave has since expanded further, and now includes options for extended partial-pay leave and job-protected unpaid leave lasting up to three years for employees.

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WHEN PARENTING ADVICE FROM TWO CULTURES CONTRADICTS ITSELF

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Nearly all of Sasha's early parenting information came from English-language sources aimed at US or UK audiences, while the advice she received in person, from her mother-in-law and pediatrician, followed a completely different French framework. The two didn't just differ, they actively contradicted each other, particularly around infant sleep, leaving her feeling caught between cultures rather than grounded in either one.

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FIGHTING FOR A CHILD WHO DOESN'T FIT THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM

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European school systems tend to sort children into defined tracks earlier and more rigidly than American ones. For a child with different needs or sensitivities, that structure can become a real obstacle rather than a support. Sasha describes an ongoing fight to get her older son the accommodations he needs, eventually landing on a private bilingual school chosen specifically for its flexibility, not its language program.

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WHY A CHILD'S AGE CHANGES WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL WILL ACTUALLY WORK

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Younger children, Sasha's experience suggests, tend to adapt quickly to a new school system and language, often becoming functionally fluent within months. Older children moving during middle or high school face a harder integration, both academically and socially, which makes an international or bilingual school a more reasonable choice at that stage, even with the added cost.

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WHY "HOME" ABROAD HAS LESS TO DO WITH LOCATION THAN YOU'D THINK

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After multiple international moves, Sasha's family built their sense of home around consistent traditions rather than any specific address, weekly rituals like a standing Saturday morning outing or a recurring family dinner night that traveled with them from country to country. Wherever the family eventually lands, those traditions are what her kids will recognize as home.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS

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00:00 – Becoming a Parent in Three Different Countries: One Expat Mom's Story
01:15 – Becoming a First-Time Mom in Paris, Far from Family
05:56 – French Parental Leave for Business Owners: What to Expect
08:15 – Navigating Conflicting Parenting Advice Across Two Cultures
16:03 – Advocating for a Child Who Doesn't Fit the Local School System
19:32 – Why Your Child's Age Changes What School Works Best Abroad
24:41 – Why "Home" Abroad Has Less to Do with Location Than You'd Think

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ABOUT THE GUEST

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Sasha Romary is a parenting and sleep coach who became a first-time mother in Paris and went on to raise her two sons in Singapore and Germany before returning to France. She now supports other expat parents navigating parenthood across cultures.

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ABOUT YOUR HOST

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Arielle Tucker, CFP® & IRS Enrolled Agent with Connected Financial Planning, is a cross-border financial planner based in Switzerland helping Americans living abroad navigate U.S. taxes, international investments, and cross-border financial planning.

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ABOUT PASSPORT TO WEALTH®

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Passport To Wealth® is the platform for current and aspiring US expats looking for trusted, fiduciary support. We connect globally mobile Americans with expert, licensed cross-border financial advisors, tax professionals, and relocation experts who understand the financial and legal complexities of life abroad. For guidance tailored to your specific situation, book a paid expat expert consultation today.

STAY CONNECTED

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This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Individual circumstances vary. Consult a qualified cross-border financial professional before making any financial or tax decisions.