My children have two nationalities - luckily both of them are EU nationalities. However, since we live in the home country of my wife, my children have little to nothing in terms of contact with their second nationality of my home country. Both passports for them are largely interchangeable in terms of power and freedom of travel. My children also will never need to decide whether to give up either nationality, making it easier for them to just have a “passive nationality” in the back pocket.

Do your children also have more than one nationality? How does this impact your and their life? How do you manage to retain ties with both countries - if at all? I’d love to hear different perspectives on this topic.

  • A_norny_mousse
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    3 days ago

    I wouldn’t worry too much about retaining ties with both countries. The kids can’t grow up in both countries equally - I mean they could but that wouldn’t be good for development imho - and you as a parent will simply have to accept that only one country will be the kid’s home.

    I mean, by all means take them there and let them see their family etc. but don’t make it a task, don’t have expectations that you can somehow balance things out.

    As you said: let them have a passive nationality in their back pocket.

    Greetings,
    somebody whose parents had that same notion, but tried to force it.

    PS: about learning the language, the current consensus amongst child development professionals is that each parent should speak their own language with the kid.