It can be difficult to move overseas for work, especially if you have a child that will go with you. You will be uprooting yourselves to live in an unknown land, so it can be tricky to know if they will be able to adjust. This fear is natural because you never know what to expect until you get to the country in question.
Some of you may know that we are contemplating to relocate again. Likely it is to move back home to Singapore because of various personal reasons like spending more time with our families and allowing our daughter (she’s three!) to spend more time with her grandparents.
Nothing is on the paper yet and we are open to other opportunities to move to other countries. We love exploring epic adventures! It makes sense for me to research on how to tell my young one we are moving.
However, kids can surprise you on how well they get along in a new land. The younger they are, the faster it is for them to pick up new things. They are also more open-minded with the things around them and they are ready to take on what’s before them.
If you haven’t told your child that you are moving overseas, here’s how you can tell your child:
Preparing them early
The first thing you have to do when it comes to telling your child that you are moving to a new country is by preparing them early. Let them know updates about your move help them prepare through role-playing and immersing them to the culture you will be moving to.
Luckily for us, Singapore is just next door to Malaysia (about 5 hours drive or 45 mins flight) so we have been going back and fro every chance we get.
Communication (be honest)
When you tell your child that you will be moving, always be honest about explaining why you are moving. Let them know that you are ready to answer any questions they may have and listen to their thoughts about the move.
If you don’t know how to answer one question, let them know you will get back to them as you try to find out how to answer their inquiry.
Research thoroughly
If you don’t know how to answer your child’s questions or you want to be able to explain everything, do your research about the country you are moving to. You can also get your child to help you with your research and let them see where they will stay.
You can use Google to give them an idea about where they will study, where they can go have fun and everything else they may need. Aside from Google, you can use social media groups and forums to find more information about what you can do together in your new home.
Involve them
As you research and prepare for your move, let your children to join you in every step of the way. From packing the stuff they need, researching the places they can check out to listing out what you need to do and try out.
This will get them excited about what they can do in your new home. You can also get them to practice with Facetime so they won’t feel homesick for your loved ones that you will leave behind when you move.
Don’t Dismiss Their Cries
When moving to a new country, you shouldn’t disregard what your children will need and think about the move.
Adapting to change is hard and your child may not understand the rational behind the move and may act out. Remember, you need to remind yourself every now and then that your kids will also be adapting to the new country you are in and share the concerns you have.
Don’t dismiss whatever concerns or issues they may have. Talk to them as much as you can and reassure them that we will be ok.
Conclusion
A new job, a new school and a new home will always seem scary to a lot of adults, let alone young children who need security and consistency to feel safe in their surroundings. There are many things we can do to prep our kids for the big move but the most importantly, we need to be there for them.
To hear stories on my relocation to Shanghai, here they are: I am Chinese but I am not from China People’s Republic of China here I come China is a Beautiful Country except..
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