Additional Coverage:
- I’m an American mom in Italy. When I couldn’t help my daughter with her homework, I realized how isolated I felt. (businessinsider.com)
An American Mom in Italy: Lost in Translation (and Homework)
Living abroad is a dream for many, but it comes with its own unique set of challenges. For Caroline Chirichella, an American mother raising her two children in Italy, those challenges recently came in the form of a first-grade homework assignment. While fluent in conversational Italian, Chirichella found herself stumped by some of the vocabulary, ultimately leaving her in tears and feeling isolated.
Chirichella has called Italy home for over a decade. Her daughter, now six, and her one-and-a-half-year-old son were both born there, and her daughter is bilingual.
Despite her strong Italian language skills, Chirichella admits that technical terms, especially those found in her daughter’s schoolwork, sometimes trip her up. This particular homework incident brought those language barriers into sharp focus, highlighting the difficulties of navigating parenthood in a foreign language.
The experience underscored a broader sense of isolation that Chirichella sometimes feels as an expat mom. While she has Italian friends, the rapid-fire nature of Italian conversations can leave her feeling lost. She recounts a recent gathering with other mothers where, despite actively participating, she struggled to express herself with the same nuance and ease she would in English.
Chirichella also misses the easy connection of childhood friends back in the US. While technology helps bridge the distance, it’s not a substitute for in-person support. She admits to sometimes wondering what it would be like raising her children in America, free from the language barrier.
Despite these challenges, Chirichella remains committed to her life in Italy. She emphasizes the welcoming nature of the Italian community and the deep roots her family has established there.
She views the homework incident with a positive spin, acknowledging that her daughter’s Italian proficiency is now surpassing her own. In the end, Chirichella embraces the imperfections of her experience, choosing to see the humor and the learning opportunity in the occasional linguistic hiccup.