Raising a Child Abroad

For many, Calgary is a city of adventure with breathtaking mountain views, scenic parks and vibrant festivals such as the Calgary Stampede and the Calgary Folk Music Festival. But for some, the journey isn’t about sightseeing. It’s about navigating a new life, raising children in a foreign land and discovering what it means to be a parent in this city.

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It was a late afternoon at a coffee shop next to the Kumon Math and Reading Centre on Silver Springs Boulevard in Calgary. Parents sat by the window, sipping warm coffee while waiting for their children to finish class. Their breaths were faintly visible in the cold air whenever they spoke, the contrast between the warmth inside and the freezing winter outside clear and sharp.

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Snow was piled up along the sidewalks, and the academy’s entrance was lined with parked cars, parents occasionally stepping in and out to drop off or pick up their children.

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Inside the coffee shop, parents sat in pairs or alone, some flipping through books while others scrolled through their phones. This was their brief moment of stillness, a pause in the day’s endless cycle of errands, chores and responsibilities.

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For many, this was more than just a waiting spot. It was one of the few moments where they could enjoy a hot cup of coffee without rushing, a rare time for themselves amid the daily challenges of parenting.

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Outside, the golden hues of the setting sun reflected off the snow-covered pavement, adding a warm glow to the chilly evening. The rhythmic hum of passing cars filled the air as the parents settled into their temporary retreat.

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But beyond this short break, the parents here shared more than just a love for coffee.
Though raising children in a foreign country came with challenges, many found that life in Calgary gradually became easier in different ways.

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An Unexpected Crisis – Maggie’s Story

Maggie Tsang moved from Hong Kong three years ago. Raising her five-year-old and three-year-old in a new environment, she quickly realized just how challenging parenting could be without familiar support.

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Dressed in a soft pink sweater and warm white pants, Maggie held her coffee cup between both hands. "Back in Hong Kong, we had a domestic helper who took care of the housework and helped with the kids. But here in Canada, I have to do everything on my own. When my husband travels for work, I have to take care of them by myself, and it’s really tough," She said, wrapping her hands around the coffee cup as if drawing warmth from it.

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Shortly after arriving in Canada, Maggie’s husband had to leave for Argentina on a two-week business trip. During that time, both of her children became sick, and she herself caught a cold. The biggest problem? She couldn’t drive.

 

"I had no one to call for help. I had no friends here. I was just calling my friends and family  in Hong Kong for comfort."

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She was exhausted, overwhelmed and had no choice but to push through the situation alone.

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Tracing a finger along the rim of her cup, she continued. "It was really tough. At that time, I didn’t know anyone here. But now, I’ve made some friends, and it’s much better."

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Over time, she built friendships with other Hong Kong parents in Calgary, connecting with other mothers facing similar struggles, learning to lean on and support one another.

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Giving Birth and Raising Twins in a Foreign Land – Jang Juwon’s Story

Juwon Jang gave birth to twins in the United States. For her, childbirth and parenting were far from straightforward.

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Wearing a navy blue T-shirt with a printed design on the front, Juwon smiled briefly as she gathered her thoughts. "Other than my husband, I had no family around. During my pregnancy, I had preterm contractions and was hospitalized. I couldn’t do any housework, my husband had to go to work, and I had absolutely no one to help me."

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Her twins were born five weeks early. Unlike in Korea, where postpartum care centers provide two weeks of rest, breastfeeding support and a structured recovery system, there were no such services available in the U.S. The moment she was discharged, she had to return home and take care of everything herself.

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She shook her head slightly, recalling the moment. "At the hospital, they gave me ice-cold Coke, hamburgers or pasta. In Korea, new mothers eat warm seaweed soup as part of postpartum recovery, but there was nothing like that here. Thankfully, my friends brought seaweed soup to the hospital so I could at least eat something nourishing."

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But the real challenge began after childbirth.

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Juwon let out a short laugh, though the memory was clearly a painful one. "It was so hard when both babies cried at the same time. If I held one, the other would start crying. In the end, I found myself crying too. I remember calling my husband in tears, begging him to come home early."

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She tried hiring a nanny, but finding someone who could take care of twins, especially in a neighborhood without a large Korean community, was nearly impossible. Eventually, she had to rely on her mother-in-law and parents, taking turns staying with her under the maximum visa allowance of 90 days.

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And then, there was the issue with the neighbors.

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"My baby would cry for an hour straight at night. In the U.S., people are very sensitive about child abuse. One day, I found a note on my door saying, ‘Are you abusing your child?’ I was so shocked."

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She wanted to explain that her baby was just particularly sensitive and that she was doing everything possible, but when she knocked on her neighbors’ doors, no one answered.

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"From that moment on, I was terrified. I was afraid someone might report me. When my baby cried, I would take her into the closet, cover us both with blankets and try to calm her down in a way that wouldn’t let any sound escape."

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Parenting in Calgary – A Journey of Shared Experiences

Despite their hardships, both mothers found that, over time, raising children in Canada became more manageable in different ways.

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Jang Juwon reflected on how things had changed.
"It’s much better now. My kids started elementary school, and compared to Korea, the school hours here are longer. I don’t have to spend as much time arranging extra activities, and I finally have some time for myself,” she said, stretching her legs slightly, as if savoring the newfound freedom.

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For Maggie, finding other Hong Kong parents in Calgary changed everything. She no longer felt isolated, as they shared similar experiences and supported each other through the struggles of parenting without family nearby.

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"But what I love the most," Maggie added, "is that I get to spend more time with my family. In Hong Kong, everything was rushed—long working hours, packed schedules. But here, we can slow down. We eat dinner together every night, we go on family walks. That’s something I never had before."

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Parenting is never easy, and doing it in a foreign country comes with even more challenges. But as time passed, both mothers found their own ways to adjust—through longer school days, through friendships and through shared experiences.

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Perhaps that’s what made their journey in Calgary special. Not the sights or the festivals, but the simple moments—watching their children grow, finding balance and embracing a slower, more intentional way of life.

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For some, Calgary is a place of adventure filled with mountains, parks and festivals. But for these parents, the adventure was something different. It was about navigating a new culture, building a support system from scratch and discovering what it means to raise a family far from home.