In all forms of school, there are some educators who really stand out as having “a way” with kids. Their ability to develop relationships of mutual trust and respect is second-to-none. Jeff Devens is one such educator. He has a way of putting everyone at ease.

Jeff joined us for another episode –  not to talk about finance this time, but to talk about his day job – working to support students and parents in international schools. As Audrey noted in her introduction to the episode, get your notebook and pen handy as Dr. Devens shares so much helpful information!

For 29 years, Dr. Devens has worked in international education as a school psychologist, counselor, and classroom educator. Jeff completed his Ph.D. in School Psychology in 2006. His dissertation research focused on depression rates among international students.

Growing up on public assistance and the only one of five children to graduate from high school, Jeff uniquely appreciates the hurt, heartache, and angst that parents encounter when raising kids. His first book, A Parent’s Guide to Raising Kids Overseas, was released in 2018. Jeff’s wife, Nanette, is also an international educator. They have two children: Cylas, a college freshman, and Cora, a high school sophomore. 

Our Guiding Question was, “Is parenting overseas different from parenting in one’s home country? What are some things to think about?”

Here are a few topics Jeff covered in this episode: 

• What first-time overseas parents and students can experience with the start of school
• How family systems can change when living internationally
• The importance of community with the school at the center of it
• Cultural considerations and variations
• Stressed out students
• Parenting styles
• The importance of values
• Fostering life skills

Where to learn more: 

The Facebook group Expat Financial Education run by Andrew Hallam
Jeff’s Book - A Parent’s Guide to Raising Kids Overseas

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

David’s Wellness@ES website which includes a section on Digital WellnessDr. Jonathan Haight’s Anxious Generation website and book of the same name

The show was recorded on August 30,

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.