Children as kin-keepers of a transnational family : inclusive understanding of a family in the eyes of children

In the context of transnational family, kinship relations can exist and operate in spite of considerable distances and as the time passes. It is not a given that spatial separation decreases the level of intimacy. In fact, being away may in fact even magnify ‘doing family’ and experiencing familyhood. In our chapter, we attempt to deepen the understanding of family and transnational relations by employing the child-centric approach. Based on the experiences, opinions and feelings of migrant children, we try to present how transnational bonds are practiced and how families function despite spatial distances. The analysis is grounded in the semi-structured interviews, drawings, as well as observation of childrens rooms during Transfam research conducted with children living permanently in Norway and born in Poland. By adopting transnational paradigm and using the concept of the kin¬keeping linked with intergenerational solidarity, we state that children are very important kin-keepers of the transnational family bonds.