Small children struggle to understand big distances. The idea of moving to a different country might be exciting, scary, confusing or all of those. Little ones might not realise that an international move means they won’t see their loved ones in person very often. They might not quite grasp that this isn’t like a sun holiday; they won’t be back in a week. Or they might fear that they will never visit their grandparents, cousins or friends again. When you are busy dealing with shipping personal belongings internationally, finding a new home, closing out all of your utilities here and all those other details, it is easy to overlook a child’s anxiety if they aren’t acting out. But make no mistake, a big move is a big deal to children. Here are few ways to help calm your children’s nerves and help them focus on the fun and adventure that awaits.
Learn Together
If your new home means using a new language, you can have some fun learning and practicing it together. Depending on your child’s age, you can start with some basic words or even compete on a language-learning app for fun. Children do learn languages quickly. But language won’t be the only new thing. Reading stories and watching movies set in the place where you are moving can help them understand more subtle cultural differences. Older children might be worried about school, and you can help by researching the differences and similarities together.
Packing for Personal Shipping
Children take comfort from familiar items. While you might not want to fill your personal shipping with things they’ll quickly outgrow, it is helpful to pack some beloved cuddly toys or other comfort items. And it is even more important to let them have some during the trip in your car or carry-on luggage. Most of us feel less anxious when we have a sense of control over what’s happening. You can provide this for your children by involving them in the packing. Let them make some of the age-appropriate decisions about what toys and clothing to bring. You can also explain how you are shipping your personal belongings internationally and show them the route their things will take to your destination. You might even include some of their favourite biscuits in your personal shipping.
Routine and Ritual
Try to keep your routine as consistent as possible before, during and after the move. If you usually have pizza on Friday night, for example, doing that in your new home will help your children understand that while they have lots of new things to grapple with, they still have something familiar. With small children who have a bedtime routine, this is extra important to help them settle into good sleeping patterns as they adjust to a new time zone. Expect everyone to need more sleep as they deal with the barrage of new information in a new place – including the adults.
Spratt Personal Shipping can make the whole experience easier for you and your family. Talk to our experienced staff today about the best way of shipping personal belongings internationally and for some more tips on helping your child cope with an overseas move.
