I’ve been abroad for 13 years now. I am an only child and can only spend 2-3 weeks at home per year because of my work. So when my parents visit me, they usually stay 2 weeks and we just chill. I do suffer a lot from expat guilt, those few weeks per year are very valuable to me.

I’ve been with my partner (who is a local) for a while but he only recently met my parents because of the pandemic. He tried learning my language but failed, and my parents barely understand English. Last time we all stayed together for 2 days and it was just awkward. I felt like everyone had the best intentions but my parents weren’t very comfortable, and my partner was awkward too. Because of the language barrier and barely knowing each other, they didn’t really warm up to each other.

I really want to move in with my partner, but I don’t want my parents to feel like guests in our shared flat. I have never lived with a partner before, but i guess i can’t really force him to speak another language or stay elsewhere so I can properly catch up with my parents. It would also be kinda awkward to have my parents to stay in a hotel, because we have so little time together. I don’t know what to do, who to talk to first, or how to solve this.

  • HVP2019@alien.topB
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    10 months ago

    My husband doesn’t speak my language and my mother doesn’t speak my husband’s language.

    Each of them can say/ understand few words like “hello” /“good morning” “thank you” . But not much more.

    I translate few phrases between them. But mostly when my mom visits I either have conversation with my mom that my husband doesn’t participate or i have conversation with my husband that my mom doesn’t participate. (My husband usually occupies himself with whatever while I can catch up with my mom)

    It works reasonably OK for the duration of visits that can last up to few months every few years.