Blog post

Preparing your family for relocating overseas

June 5, 2018

Sometimes in life, you have no choice but to pack up and start again somewhere new. In most cases, that somewhere new will be no more than an hour away from your current home. You may even be lucky enough to move somewhere as close as the next street down. At other times, circumstances work against you which mean you have to move a little further afield.

It may be that a new job offer has you moving to Indonesia and looking at houses like these properties in https://www.rumah.com/rumah-dijual/di-area-jakarta-timur-idjk04. Or, it may be that you simply fancy a change of scenery. Perhaps the school opportunities are better elsewhere, or you can no longer put off your desire for a life in the sun.

Whatever the reasons; it can be impossible to ignore when the call of an overseas move comes along. And, if you’re young, free, and single, it’s easy enough to pack up and follow the winds of change. But, when you have a family behind you, things get a little more complicated. After all, it wouldn’t be fair of you to choose to move for everyone else. What’s more, you would need to think about the kid’s schooling. And, then there’s the fact that the whole family is in for a hell of a change if you do go ahead. In fact, you may ask yourself whether your children would be able to adapt at all. After all, they’re settled and content. How can you ensure they’ll be happy in your new destination?

In truth, though, children are more adaptable than we give them credit for. As such, there’s every chance your kids will settle easier than you and your partner do. What’s more, children who are used to travel will already have a unique set of skills to help them adjust. And, you can read on to find out what they are.

An adjustment to flying

Often, an overseas move will involve a long haul flight to boot. Given that planes and children get a bad reputation, that might be part of what you’re dreading. What’s more, you’ll need to cope with this before you even touch down in your destination. But, if your children have already been on a few planes in their time, this shouldn’t’ be an issue. In fact, there’s every chance they’ll be more laid back about the travel aspect of this journey than you. If you are at all worried, you can always take advice from articles like this one found at edition.cnn.com. Simple things like planning the timing of your flights and thinking about entertainment can make a huge difference. But, the chances are your kids will be as good as gold, and draw on their past flying experiences to cope with this new and more permanent flight.

The ability to learn languages fast

In truth, kids can outstrip us with their learning abilities any day of the week. There’s a good reason why so many people refer to children’s brains like sponges. And, this can apply when it comes to languages, as well. At least, it can if they’ve come across different languages in past experiences. If you travel a lot, the chances are your children can already pick up on at least necessary words and phrases reasonably fast. And, that’s an obvious benefit if they’ll be learning in a whole new language in the future. So, if you’re worried about your kids settling in due to language barriers, don’t be. Thanks to those holidays you’ve taken in the past, there’s a good chance they won’t even think twice before getting stuck in.

Preparing the pallet

Let’s be honest; one of the primary concerns about moving kids abroad is the diet on offer. While fast to learn, youngsters are often creatures of habit, especially when it comes to food. And, suddenly entering a different culture with different cuisine can be daunting, to say the least. Will your little one ever eat again? How can you encourage them even to taste those new delicacies which will be all around? In truth, though, children who have experienced foreign cuisine on past trips may surprise you here. There’s a chance that those experiences will have prepared their pallets for a whole new way of eating. Admittedly, that’s not to say they’ll order snails the moment you move to France. But, something as simple as a willingness to try new things should see you through here. Take it easy by introducing one new food at a time, and see how they respond. Over time, you should find that they more than happily embrace their new diet.

Understanding a new culture

Vacations in the past can also go a long way towards helping your child adjust to a new culture. After all, what is a vacation if not a short-term experience in a culture different from your own? What’s more, the fast ways children make friends likely means they’re used to befriending kids from different cultures to theirs. And, that’s sure to be beneficial when you move. While you and your partner may struggle to adjust to cultural norms and expectations, your children could be leaps and bounds ahead. After all, they’ve had more experience getting stuck in with the locals. And, that’s going to help them a considerable amount when they get into a school environment. Bullying is always a significant concern when vast cultural differences are in place. So, experience like this should go a long way towards putting your, and their, minds at ease.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that this transition may still be a bumpy one. After all, moving overseas is daunting no matter how old you are. There will likely be low moments for your children, too. But, by encouraging them to remember the experiences they’ve had, you should be able to keep their attitudes positive. If they’re young enough, they may even come to see this new country as their home, and you can’t ask for more than that.

Images courtesy of Unsplash. 

1 Comments

  • Flyingkids

    June 7, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    Relocating is such a stressful process for the whole family. This article is very helpful.

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