Runningbrook International Preschool
San Carlos Center: Carlos Peña Otaegui 11206 (intersection La Fuente) San Carlos de Apoquindo, Las Condes
Runningbrook International Preschool
San Carlos Center: Carlos Peña Otaegui 11206 (intersection La Fuente) San Carlos de Apoquindo, Las Condes
November 9, 2026
Maybe your family has moved across an ocean. Maybe your child speaks one language with Grandma, another at preschool, and a mix of both at the dinner table. Or maybe you've settled in Santiago for a few years and you're already wondering what the next move will mean for your little one. If you're raising a child between cultures, you've probably asked yourself a quiet but important question: Where will my child feel they truly belong?
It's a question many families ask, and it comes from a place of deep love. Children who grow up across countries, languages, and traditions gain wonderful strengths, like flexibility, empathy, and a wide view of the world. They also need something steady to hold onto: a sense of being rooted, known, and accepted.
In this article, we'll look at what belonging means for young children, what you might see as your child works through a multicultural life, and simple, practical ways you can help them feel at home wherever they are. At Runningbrook, we've welcomed families from more than 35 countries since 1993, and we've seen again and again that roots don't depend on one place. Children can grow them in relationships, routines, and everyday moments of connection.
Belonging isn't a luxury for young children. It's part of the foundation for healthy early childhood development. Attachment research, beginning with the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, shows that children who feel securely connected to their caregivers are better able to explore, take on new challenges, and manage their emotions. A secure base gives a child the confidence to venture out, knowing someone is there to return to.
The Harvard Center on the Developing Child describes "serve and return" interactions, the back-and-forth exchanges between a child and a responsive adult, as essential for building healthy brain architecture. These small, everyday moments of connection are where belonging begins.
For internationally-raised children, often called "Third Culture Kids" (a term made widely known by David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken in their book Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds), belonging can look different. These children often feel most at home with others who share a cross-cultural life, rather than with one particular nation. Researchers and families alike note that this can bring real strengths: cultural adaptability, language skills, and an easy openness toward people who are different from them.
The goal isn't to give your child one fixed identity. It's to help them feel that all the parts of who they are are welcome.
Every child is unique, and children develop at different rates. Some take changes in stride, while others need more time and reassurance. Both are completely normal. Here are some behaviors you may notice, depending on your child's age and temperament.
For the youngest children, belonging is felt through the body and through relationships. Familiar faces, voices, smells, and routines tell them they're safe. After a move or a big change, you might notice:
These responses are healthy signs that your child is attached to you and is processing change in the only way they can.
As language develops, so does awareness of difference. A toddler in a bilingual education setting might:
Older preschoolers start asking bigger questions about identity. You might hear things like "Where am I from?", "Why do I talk differently from my cousins?", or "Is Chile my home or is Canada my home?" They might:
These questions and feelings aren't signs that something is wrong. They show your child is actively building a rich, layered sense of self.
You don't need to do anything elaborate. The strongest roots grow from simple, steady actions repeated over time. Here are five strategies you can start today.
Routines can move with you anywhere. A Friday pancake breakfast, a lullaby from your own childhood, or a bedtime phrase in your heritage language become anchors that travel with your family. When everything else is new, these rituals quietly tell your child: this is who we are, and this stays the same.
Picture a family arriving in Santiago, with boxes still unpacked and nothing yet familiar. Their nightly ritual of reading the same picture book and singing the same song can make even an unfamiliar bedroom feel like home.
Children don't need to choose. Let them enjoy empanadas during Fiestas Patrias and also the dishes and holidays from your home country. Talk openly and positively about each culture that's part of their story. You might:
When children see their whole identity valued, they learn that being "from many places" is something to be proud of.
Language holds culture, memory, and connection to extended family. Research on bilingual development consistently shows that keeping a heritage language supports family bonds and doesn't confuse children or slow their overall language growth. Read, sing, and play in your home language, and stay curious about the new language your child is learning. If your child answers in a different language than the one you used, that's okay. Keep the conversation warm and keep going.
Video calls with grandparents, photo albums of past homes, and small keepsakes help children feel that their relationships continue even across distance. Just as important, give space for feelings of missing and loss. Instead of saying "Don't be sad, you'll make new friends," try something like "You really miss your friend. That makes sense. Should we draw her a picture?" When you name and accept your child's feelings, they learn their emotions belong too.
Belonging also grows right where you are. Visit the same park regularly, get to know the neighbors, and set up playdates with classmates. For young children, play is the language of connection. Shared games, building projects, and pretend play let children form friendships even before they share full fluency in a language.
At Runningbrook, belonging is at the heart of our child-centered approach. In our multicultural environment, children hear many languages, celebrate many traditions, and see families that look like theirs, and families that look different. This helps internationally-raised children feel normal and celebrated rather than different or out of place.
Our play-based learning philosophy is especially powerful for children going through transitions. Through play, children work through change, try out new roles, and build friendships naturally. Our small group sizes mean each child is truly known by their educators, who notice a quiet moment, welcome a word in a home language, and help every child find their place.
Across our programs, belonging takes different forms:
We see bilingual education not just as learning two languages, but as a bridge that connects children to one another and to the many worlds they belong to.
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: you are your child's home. Countries, houses, and schools may change, but your love, attention, and presence go with your child everywhere. That's the deepest root of all.
You know your child better than anyone. You know what comforts them, what worries them, and what makes them light up. Trust that knowledge. The strategies here are suggestions, not rules. Adapt them to your family's values, cultures, and rhythms. There's no single right way to raise a child between worlds.
Internationally-raised children often grow into adults with remarkable gifts: open hearts, flexible minds, and the ability to feel at home in many places. With your steady support, your child can grow both deep roots and strong wings.
If you'd like to learn more about how Runningbrook welcomes families from around the world, we'd love to meet you and show you around. Our community is ready to help your child feel they belong.