What was the reaction of my half-Japanese, half-French children when they met their Japanese grandparents for the first time in six months?

I'm Suiren, a mom of two half-Japanese, half-French boys living in France.

My parents came to visit us from Japan!

Both boys were really looking forward to seeing their grandparents, but since I told them they would arrive late at night, 5-year-old Ik-kun declared, "I'm not going to sleep today!"

After connecting flights, my parents arrived at the house just after midnight. Because it was so late, the children were, of course, already asleep.

As we were taking off our shoes, carrying in luggage, and chatting endlessly about their health and the flight, I heard the pitter-patter of little feet, and Ik-kun, who should have been asleep, came out of his room.

Ik-kun looked a bit shy at first, but then, unable to contain himself, he broke into a huge smile, ran up to his grandmother saying, "Grandma!", wrapped his arms around her neck, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then he went over to his grandfather, who was standing next to her, and did the same thing—wrapped his arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

My parents were so happy. Since I, as his mom, hadn't asked him to do that, I felt proud of Ik-kun for being able to express his joy so honestly.

As for 2-year-old Ni-kun, he was asleep that night, so they met in the morning. While he was happy, he didn't seem to know what to do, so he hid behind a shelf, peeked out with just his face, and stared at his grandparents. He had a big smile on his face. He was only hiding for a moment before he started playing with them right away.

We will be spending the next three weeks with my parents. Although the children, who had been looking forward to this, felt a bit shy and confused at first, they were completely comfortable within a few dozen minutes.

Ni-kun, who was a little shy at first, was asking for hugs by the next day, saying, "Grandma, hold me!" Even Ik-kun, who usually switches to French immediately when talking to me, tries his best to converse with his grandparents in Japanese. They are communicating without any problems.

They come to visit us every year, so the kids are used to it by now. We plan to spend our time leisurely, strolling through the market and playing at the local park. I wonder if Grandma will make her famous Japanese food? We've also arranged a trip to the Alsace region. I'm looking forward to seeing a completely different side of France, eating delicious food, and experiencing many things together.

I hope that during this three-week stay, we can spend time that blends the best of French and Japanese communication styles. I want to cherish the richness of emotional expression, physical affection, and the culture of expressing feelings through words that is typical of France. At the same time, I also want to value the Japanese-specific communication of "reading between the lines," modest consideration, and thoughtful attentiveness.

It had been six months since they last saw each other, but I felt that their grandparents were always in the children's hearts.

Of course, there are challenges unique to international families. The language barrier, and how to spend the "intense but short time" that is unique to long-distance families. But perhaps there is a special bond that is born precisely because of that. Because we can't see each other easily, the time we do have is precious and special, so I try to cherish every moment and make an effort to create many memories. I would be happy if, even when the children grow up, they remember the "fun times they spent with their grandparents."

How do you, as an international family, deepen your bonds with family members who live far away? Please let me know in the comments about your tips for online interaction or how you spend time together when you actually meet. Also, if you have any parenting tips that incorporate the best parts of Japanese and French culture, or any other foreign culture, please share them with me!

I would like to write another article about our three-week stay. Stay tuned for the next one!