Moving abroad is an exciting time for the whole family, with the promise of a better life full of new opportunities and experiences. However, it can also be quite a nerve-wracking time, especially for children. This step into the unknown can bring worries about going to a new school, making friends, and feeling safe in their new environment.

So, how do you prepare children for this huge change? Thankfully, there are things you can do to make the move seem less daunting and to ensure that your children have a smooth transition into their new life. Erin Harding at Property Guides share eight top tips.

Involve them with your plans

Preparing and planning for your move can be as stressful as it is exciting. However, if you keep your children in the dark about the details, then the move could be all the more daunting when it actually happens. 

Keep talking about the country you’re moving to, the town or area you’ll be living in and the school they’ll be attending. Show them photos of their new house and the surrounding area, allow them to read correspondence from their prospective school and highlight a few exciting landmarks that would be worth visiting when you arrive.

Find a property with fun features

If you can, find a property that your kids can get excited about. A games room or swimming pool will be worth its weight in gold and will provide hours of fun. This set up will also be ideal for inviting new friends over and allowing your children to bond with them. Any fun features in the house will make the move all the more exhilarating for the kids.

The importance of outdoor space

We’ve come to value the importance of outdoor space over the past year, so having a garden in your new home or a park nearby an apartment could be key to your child’s wellbeing. With more space to play and plenty of fresh air, they will soon settle into their new surroundings. It will also be an ideal place for them to play with new friends, host birthday parties and generally have fun.

Take old things to your new place

Bring a few sentimental possessions with you will make your new house feel like home. This could be furniture, toys, kitchenware or anything that will create a sense of familiarity for your children. Even something as small as their favourite plate and cup may help them to feel at home in their new house. 

Arrange visits from home

Before making your move abroad, arrange a few visits from home and put them in the diary. Having these scheduled in could be a great way to tackle homesickness. Choose a property with a guest bedroom so you can easily accommodate any family members or friends who wish to visit. In the meantime, get the children involved with adding a few personal touches to the room so it’s ready and waiting for those visitors to arrive.

Maintain friendships

In today’s world, it couldn’t be easier to stay in touch with friends from overseas. So, when the children say goodbye to their friends, reassure them that this isn’t goodbye forever! Encourage them to make a plan for staying in touch, whether that’s through regular video calls, social media or just good, old fashioned letters. Lead by example and make the effort to do the same with your own friends, so they can see first-hand how friendships can be maintained.

Learn languages early

You’ll often hear it said that when they move to a country with a different language, children soak it up “like a sponge” and are soon chattering away. That they may be true for toddlers, but for anyone over school age, be proactive in getting them able to communicate asap. You can do that in all sorts of fun ways, including listening to radio in that language or maybe turning foreign subtitles onto TV shows. Best of all will be organising conversational tutoring long before you leave.

Maintain traditions

You may have special traditions for birthdays, Christmas and other events. It’s during these times when you and your children may miss your old home the most, so keep up the same traditions. Smaller traditions may be worth maintaining too – maybe you always go to the park on a Sunday or have a pizza night on a Friday – bring these routines to your new home to make the transition easier.