Moving abroad can be an
emotionally stressful undertaking, and it certainly requires lots of planning
and preparation. There is no denying that this is a time of uncertainty and
that you might even feel a bit frightened of what’s to come. Now imagine being
a child who not only has zero control over the entire thing but also lacks the
rational and emotional maturity to understand the reasons that have shaped your
decision to move abroad.
If you don’t prepare your
children for the road ahead, if you don’t find the right tutors for them to continue
their education seamlessly, or if you don’t guide them through the lengthy
adjustment phase, you will never be able to fully enjoy your new life. Here are
the four tips to achieve this and build the life you deserve.
Go above and beyond to explain the situation
First things first, keep in mind
that your children might completely understand what’s going on, but are
refusing to accept it. This can be for a number of reasons, but your job will
be to explain the benefits of this transition, and how many beautiful things
await at the destination. If you’re a single expat parent, this will help you
speed up the process and bring them over to your side.
Like grownups, children are
driven by self-interest, and they respond best to an assurance of personal gain,
emotional and psychological comfort, and physical safety. Use this to help them
understand exactly why you need to move, and then continue to tell stories of
all the wonderful things you’ll do as a family in your new home.
Find the top learning centers in the country
One of the most important tasks a parent has to tackle even
before they move, is to find the right educational institutions that fit the
age, talents, and interests of their child. It’s not enough to try to enroll
them in a public school, because such a setting might be all wrong for their
unique identity. This is why regions where many people are migrating to, such
as Hong Kong, are quick to create learning centers tailored to every age group.
For example, parents with toddlers and crawlers should
search for the best playgroup in Hong Kong that
emphasizes sensory, physical, and creative play activities to unlock the
child’s true potential and prepares them for the next phase in their journey.
When the time comes for primary school, or if you’re moving with older children
and even teens, it imperative that you follow the same mindset to find and
enroll them in an institution that fits their needs. This way, you will easily
get them to fall in love with their new home.
Acknowledge their feelings and respect their wishes
You might be the ruler of your household, but that doesn’t
mean that your kids are not entitled to their opinions and their wishes, nor
does it mean that they don’t deserve their voice to be heard. If you simply
tell them the way things are going to be without at least acknowledging their
point of view, you will invariably alienate them from the entire thing.
Once this happens, it will be extremely difficult to get
them to adjust to their new surroundings. You will have difficulties with the
smallest of tasks like getting them ready for school in the morning
and getting them to adjust to the new school system in general, not to mention
that your relationship at home will suffer as well. Hear them out, acknowledge
their feelings, and strive to make a compromise.
Bring as much of your home with you as possible
Speaking of falling in love with their new home, it’s
important to understand that children create deep emotional relationships with
the things they spend time with every day. In other words, if you want them to
adapt quickly and without stress, you should aim to bring with you the things
that are familiar to them, as well as the things that make them happy.
Try to mirror your current interior in
your new home as much as possible to make the transition smooth and enjoyable, like
they never left. The comfort of these elements mixed with the new and exciting
things that are happening outside will create the perfect backdrop for a smooth
transition into a new culture.
Parting words
Leaving friends and family behind is tough even if you’re an
emotionally mature adult, but it can be devastating for a child. Be sure to use
these tips in order to plan your life abroad in a way that benefits your
children’s emotional and psychological well-being.
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