MOVING INTERNATIONALLY WITH CHILDREN
Take some time out to consider your children in the overseas moving process?
Moving with children can be complicated and stressful because they may not immediately understand the reason for leaving. Make sure they are well-prepared and can adjust to their new home easily.
Good news though - children often end up adjusting quicker to living abroad than adults. Parents generally take longer to settle but they eventually adapt fully to the new surroundings.
With all the rigors of moving overseas and starting a new life, parents can sometimes lose sight that moving is particularly demanding for their children.
With a little thought and preparation parents can take steps to ensure that their move overseas transitions as smoothly as possible for their children.
Be mindful though, it's not just about living in a safe environment or attending the right school or even making new friends - just taking some time out with out with your children can be as equally important, as well as including them in the process. This has its challenges though, especially if they are infants or under school age.
Moving with children, especially older children can be easier, if they are involved directly in the overseas moving process. For example: sorting and packing their own belongings, choosing out of school or sporting activities on arrival in their new neighborhood, as well as deciding on the right schooling option for themselves can all have a majorly positive effect on them.
It is crucial to inform your children about the forthcoming move. To broach this subject can be difficult, it is best to choose a moment when the kids are relaxed and parents have enough time to explain the situation. It is vital that parents are open and honest about the reasons for moving and also allow plenty of time for their children to ask questions. It is important to understand that moving overseas may create uncertainties, especially for children of school age and are old enough to understand that the move to another country will mean leaving their friends and familiar surroundings behind.
Spend time looking at pictures and information about your new country and delve into information about the new neighborhood. Google Maps is a great tool for this as you can hone in on photos of parks, shopping centres, school and of course houses in your new neighborhood. This can make moving with children a lot easier and help with the cultural transition.
Sometimes this will be out of the parents control. The ideal time for moving with children is about two weeks before the beginning of a new school year. This way, your kids will have enough time to settle in. That said everyone will adapt differently to their new surroundings and it is important to make sure you give your child enough time to feel comfortable in their new environment.
Monitor them closely - be careful not to let too much time pass before you try to integrate them into their new surroundings. Homesickness can be a major factor if children become bored. There are many factors that can cause homesickness for example : not making new friends, missing friends etc. etc.
If the timing of your move means a sizeable length of time before your children can start school then try to be creative. Plan activities, games, or field trips, in order to keep your kids busy until school starts. If they have something to do, your children will not have time to think about all the things they have left behind.
The team at Worldwide Move Management are very well versed in the art of International Moving with children. In fact a few of us have first hand experience having migrated ourselves with children.
Need more information on moving with children and keen to obtain a quotation for your overseas move then please reach out to us through our Contact Page or directly to info@worldwidemovemanagement.com