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M

ike was a troubled man. The big guy leaned heavily on the doorway of my offce. Until now, I’d really only known him as our IT guy. But, with a deep breath he sighed, and then, in a soft voice, started talking. “Hey, I’m sorry to bother you. I noticed you have a lot of books about ‘international families’. Is it OK if I ask you something about my family? My wife and my mother have very different opinions about our kid, and they are both driving me crazy.” What family life specialist could turn down such a direct request? “Sure, Mike. Come in; sit down. Lots of things are changing with families these days – especially ones with a global outlook. What’s going on with yours?”

Mind your language

He tried several positions to set his large body into the standard offce chair; he was obviously uncomfortable and his face looked strained. This man was not used to asking for help. Finally, he said: “Look, I am not complaining. But my wife has this thing. She wants our two-year-old boy to go to an English-speaking kindergarten starting in the spring. I know, for a Hong Kong Chinese family that is not so unusual. We speak English and Chinese at home, pretty much equally, depending on what we’re talking about. But my mother is suddenly making a big deal about the boy learning proper

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