Living Abroad and Helping Children Adapt
Published on 19 October 2007
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If your plan is to live abroad with children in tow there are quite a few extra considerations that should come into play. Beyond making the very big decision about how and where to educate your children, you’re going to have to take steps to help them settle in to a new life overseas.
It doesn’t matter if you’re moving to live in Bulgaria, Dubai or even very ‘British similar’ Canada or Australia, there will be a period of adjustment for young and older children. Plan on some very big ups and downs along the way…that said, there are plenty of things expatriate parents can do to help their children get along in a new country. If you want to know about living abroad and helping children adapt then know that it won’t be all fun and games, but with some diligence, understanding and patience, most children manage to adjust well.
Some of the steps expat parents can take to help school-age children get along well in their new homes include: -
Language assistance. If you’re moving to a non-English speaking country take the time as a family to learn the language before you move abroad. Unless you intend to put your children in an international school or plan on home schooling, they will need to know how to speak, read and write in their adopted language – eventually. Simply to get along and make new friends, they will have to speak the local tongue and if you take time out to help them learn language skills before they move they will not feel isolated and will begin to make friends and enjoy social contact straight away – and so will you for that matter!
Customs and cultural quirks. To get on with other children in your new nation your youngsters should be taught any local customs and cultural quirks. They need to know – as much as you do – what is appropriate and what isn’t for where it is they are going to be living abroad.
Activities. Even if an international school is chosen, getting youngsters involved in community activities is a great way to help them meet and make new friends. The more friends they have, the more likely they are to feel at home.
Homesickness. Depending on where you are going, children might have a serious problem with homesickness. Everything from the language to the programmes on television could be different and so to overcome some of this, consider satellite or cable television, boosting a DVD collection and coming up with ways to make home really feel like “home.”
Staying in touch with friends and family. In most cases the notion behind expatriating is to build a new and better life elsewhere. It doesn’t necessarily mean having to say goodbye to all ties with loved ones in the home country. To help older children stay in touch, consider creating a family blog, setting up e-mail strings and employing other affordable means for chatting with loved ones back in your country of origin – check out Skype for example, if both parties in the communication have Skype installed on their computer, telephone calls are 100% free!
Moving to a new country with children in tow is not necessarily an easy undertaking. There will be good days and quite likely some bad ones, too. The more you do to help your children fit in and adjust, the more likely they are to thrive no matter what country you now call home and the more likely it is you will feel happy about having made the move.
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