For the Kids - Are Expatriate Children Really Getting the Best Deal?

As the summer draws to a close and the kids go back to school, it is understandable that many parents are considering whether or not they are giving their children the best start in life. Of course, such questions are especially prevalent during recessionary times, but it seems surprising to me that there has been much written of the effect of families living abroad has on the children.

This trend could have been stimulated by a swathe of research published recently which highlights how many Brits are currently living abroad and exactly where they are. MSN Money estimate that there are six million Britons living abroad, while Halifax International data shows that 16 percent of those are living in France, with 10 percent living in Spain, 8 percent in the US and 4 percent in Australia.

To some, the thought of forcing the kids to learn a new language and to adapt to a new culture might be considered unfair. Yet, recently many have spoken out about how the experience can be beneficial to youngsters. To paraphrase expatriate specialists, ExpatForum, they believe that by living abroad, youngsters will develop confidence when it comes to travelling home in the future - and will be more willing to take on new challenges. Additionally, learning new languages and being accepting of different cultures is great for the prospect of working in a multicultural society once they have grown up.

Recent Natwest data showed that these are beliefs held by the parents also. According to the bank, nine out of ten expat parents believe their children are benefiting from the experience. Of course, much of this depends on the standard of education abroad. France's education system is very highly regarded, alongside New Zealand, Canada and Singapore - where English is spoken widely. Intriguingly, although it is a popular destination Spain ranks at the bottom for education abroad.

One supposes that the connectedness of the world is making a difference. While many of today's children may feel rootless - a notion that is more reflected upon as we get older and leave home - the way the Y and Z Generation can keep connected via Facebook and social networking may be seen to be keeping friendships stronger for longer when one or both are moving around a lot. May be this is a far to optimistic view of the digital age, but at least the anxiety of whether or not an individual will be able to fit in at 'home' after a few years away is certainly assuaged somewhat when re-communicating with old friends can be done so effortlessly.

Paul Roberts writes about living abroad, finance, offshore savings and offshore interest rates.