Relocating with children

In all the years that we have been relocating people, one of the main  concerns that families have is whether or not the children will be happy. There  are those who start looking feverishly for houses with pools or adventure  playgrounds in the garden as an incentive to encourage their children to move  while others do not dare mention the move until it is almost time to get on the  plane. In reality children will accept and enjoy the move much more if they are  involved from the start and in fact have few expectations.  As soon as you know  that the move is a certainty, then it is a good thing to start to make the new  country or city familiar. The internet is full of lots of information which will  help them to build a picture of where they will be living and perhaps where they  might go to school. For children relocating to Australia for the first time the  fauna, especially kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and parrots are exciting and  different. Places such as The Great Barrier Reef are really wonderful Australian  draw cards for families and the opportunity to visit is often something that  fires the imagination. A wish list of places to visit close to the new city is  also to be encouraged as it builds up anticipation and helps to focus on the  positives of the relocation: include zoos, beaches, parks and museums. Have a  look at the Elite Executive Services website for special activities for  children

One of the things which is of most concern will be leaving friends  behind and it is often useful to start a scrapbook with lots of photos of  friends and happy memories. Make sure that they have an address book with all  their friends’ addresses, email addresses and perhaps jot down birth dates so  that you can early keep in touch. Setting up Skype is also a great idea to keep  in touch once you have moved.

Make sure that the children have a say in what to pack and what to  leave behind. It is important to let them feel that they are involved. Always  make space in the hand luggage for a few favorite items to go along with you. It  is also a great idea to mark boxes of special toys to be packed last and which  can be unpacked first once your shipment arrives. This will keep them occupied  and less stressed at the destination.

Relocating is a great opportunity for families to experience new things  together so involve the children and have some fun along the way!