Moving abroad with kids is an exciting adventure, but it can also be stressful. If you’re a parent relocating to another country, you should realize that each family member’s experience could be different. Take a look at a few steps that could help your children adapt to their new school abroad.
Step one – take it slow
The most important thing you can do for your child is not to rush it. Kids need time to get acquainted with their new surroundings, especially if they are in a different country or city than where they have lived before. Remember that some children take longer than others when adapting to new schools and countries. When moving abroad, your child may take a while at school before becoming comfortable enough to start making friends. However long it takes depends on the individual child and their personality traits as well as their capacity for change.
Connect with other kids’ parents
It’s always a good idea to talk to other parents of kids in your child’s class. Here are some things you can learn from them:
- How their kids are doing at school and how they like it there.
- If they have any advice for you about your kids’ general education or what the school is like.
- Activities your child could engage with. If the parent of a kid in your child’s class recommends an activity or class for your child, you may want to enroll them right away! Plus, if you don’t speak the local language very well yet and need help figuring out what activities might be available locally, talking to another parent could come in handy.
Help your children adapt and avoid feeling homesick
Once you’ve settled in, one of the most important things to do is ensure your child has everything they need to feel at home. Just like it means having their favorite snacks and toys available, it also means unpacking belongings after the move. Familiar things and actions will be comforting for them.
Be patient when they make friends
You’re never too old to make friends, but sometimes it can be challenging for your child to make new ones. Your children may be shy at first and not want to leave their comfort zone. They’ll get used to their new school and the country over time, so give them time to adjust.
If they don’t want to socialize with other students, don’t push them into doing things that make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe. You should always trust their judgment about this kind of thing. But, if you think something is up with your child’s behavior (like depression), ask a teacher or counselor for advice or support.
Give them their own space
Giving your children space to explore their new environment and make mistakes is essential. After moving into a new home after the move, let them meet new people, play with other kids in their class, make friends and go out with them after school. This will help your children adapt and feel more comfortable in their new surroundings.
Letting your children find interests on their own is another way you can help them adapt to life abroad quickly. For example, if they are interested in photography, let them join clubs or projects. Find places that allow them to pursue this interest full-time or part-time while at home or during breaks from school (e.g., summer vacation).
Encourage diversity
We learn to appreciate and respect people from different backgrounds through diversity. It would be best if you encouraged your child to be respectful of the differences in others. It is also essential for you as a parent to understand that difference does not necessarily mean bad or good things about a person. A child should learn that a student may be different than you in many ways, but this doesn’t make them better or worse than they are.
You can explain how people come from different places around the world and how these differences make us stronger when we work together. Ultimately, your child will realize there are common goals, like learning about each other’s cultures while working towards academic success.
Consider how different their feelings are
Today’s kids have a different experience than we did at their age. They’ll be in a new country, surrounded by people who are not familiar with them so they should start preparing to live abroad and start learning the language and culture. Parents need to acknowledge that their children won’t be exactly like the ones they left behind at home.
The first step in helping your kids adjust is accepting that they can’t be exactly like they were at home. They will make new friends have a different school experience, and face different challenges and expectations than before. Accepting this fact allows both parents and children alike to feel more comfortable with change as it comes along during their transition period abroad as well as throughout life in general (and beyond).
Do things together – as a family
You can’t expect your kids to handle every situation themselves, even if they think they can. Sometimes, like in the case of moving abroad, the change will require a lot more effort on your part than you might have anticipated. The relocation will be stressful for your child, even though you’ll do all the “hard work.” Packing, calling moving companies, and making other arrangements will take much of your time, which your child will be aware of.
In this situation, you will need to step up and try to spend more time with your loved ones. Experts from hansenbros.com suggest leaving all the hard work to professionals instead of wasting time packing and moving preparations. With professional assistance during your move, you’ll have more time to spend with your family and help your children adapt to the move.
To conclude
Moving abroad can be a big shock for a child. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to help your children adapt to their new school abroad. If your kids attend an international school, it’s a significant change for them. You can help them by being supportive and ensuring they have the necessary tools. Make sure they know you’ll always be there for them, even when things get tough!
Make changes easier with SIT Spain! We help you look for the perfect place to live with your family and the perfect schools for your children. Being able to let go of the paperwork and the searching for places will make this moving process very easy.
Meta Description: Is your child moving abroad to start a new school year? Here’s how you can help your children adapt to their new school abroad.
