Moving Internationally With Children

Moving internationally can be hard on adults, but it can also be hard on children as well, and as a parent you might want to focus on making an international move easier on your kids.

There are a lot of ways to not only help your kids warm up to moving to a new place, but also a lot of ways to help them say goodbye to your old home.

Talk Your Children About The Move

The most important thing you can do as a parent is have an honest talk with your children about why you are moving and what the timetable and schedule looks like for your move.

Don’t be afraid to let your children get upset, because they are moving to a new country and also leaving their old home behind.

It is only natural that emotions might run high and you need to let that happen.

If your children are older, you might want to give them some responsibility.

Let them pick from the houses you’ve pre approved as options, let them pick what school they want to go to, or how they want to pack and manage their things.

Giving them several responsibilities as you go through the move will help them feel like a part of the process, and not just like the decision is being made for them.

Let Them Say Goodbye

Some parents don’t tell their children about their move until it is too late for anyone to do anything about it, much less say goodbye and grieve as they leave friends, important places, and memories behind.

Allow your children to say goodbye to everything they are letting go of, and don’t be afraid to allow them to grieve.

Speaking of that, as a parent allow yourself to grieve too. You’ll be saying goodbye to a lot of things as you move to a new country, so don’t be worried if you feel a little sad and need to take some time for yourself. 

Get Everyone Excited About The Move

No matter if you are moving to France, Spain, Dubai, or Japan, you are probably moving for a reason.

It could be work, could be for a new experience, or it could be because you need a change of scenery.

Still, get excited about where you are going. Maybe there’s an event in the country you can go too, a restaurant serving some good food, or other places where you and your family can experience new ways of life after you’ve unpacked with https://www.shipit.co.uk. 

You should know what your children like as a parent, and maybe try to incorporate that into the move.

For example if your kids like to be outside, show them the national parks or other walkable places near where you will be living. 

Make New Friends And Keep In Touch With Old Ones

You should also find areas for your children to make new friendships, whether that is at school, at clubs or groups, or just around the neighborhood where you live.

Having opportunities for your child to socialize is one of the best ways to handle any friction for the first couple of days as you get settled in the new country.

Additionally, don’t discount making strong ties back home too. Connect and contact your family and friends back home and also allow your children to use social media to keep in contact with the people they love.

Plus, don’t discount visiting and vacations back to your old country as well, and remind your children that they will see their family and friends again.

If your children can have a mix of new and old friends to keep them company, then they might not miss home as much. 

Allow Adjustment Time

No matter what country you are moving to, whether it is one where you speak the same language and don’t have a lot of differences, or a country where the language, culture, and people are different from the place you called home there will be an adjustment period.

Everyone feels a little uneasy in new situations, and moving internationally is no exception to that.

Accept that both children and adults are going to need some adjustment time, and then you can focus on slowly adapting to your new home and start to enjoy it as well.

Your move might be stressful and hard on both yourself and your children, but it doesn’t have to stay that way and you will soon see your new country as your new home.