Moving Overseas With Your Children

Learn aboutthe country

Find a good school

Help them make friends

--Remind your child that it is okay to be different, andthat there is nothing to fear when socializing with thekids at school--Talk to new neighbors with children or get friendlywith other parents at school to set up play-dates--Get your child involved in sports and extracurricularactivities to make the friend-making process easier

--Research the schools in your new region thoroughly tofind one with qualified instructors and an advancedcurriculum--use websites like http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/ orhttp://www.cois.org/ for more information--Many countries attend school year-round with classes onthe weekends-Learn the differences in advance to make iteasier to adjust to the new schedule after classes begin

--Visit expat forums to talk with other families about whatit’s like to live there as a transplant--Try some of the regional cuisine to help your child adjustto the new smells, tastes and textures in advance--Show him pictures of your new country- anythingcolorful or unique will spark your child’s interest--Try learning some of the language- since this is importantfor you as well, you can practice together