Young families moving overseas
The France forum contains a very interesting thread regarding “Teenagers adjustments as expats” which could in reality appear in any of the various forums on the expat community website. This particular thread relates to a family who are being offered a 3 to five-year assignment in France which would mean the whole family moved over to France for a short-term period.
Obviously there are concerns regarding their young children who were aged 13 and 11 and the potential problems and issues which may arise from the move. However, there would appear to be many positives as well as some negatives regarding moving a young family overseas which include:-
Leaving friends and family
The first major problem you will have where young children are involved, and even older children, is the fact that they will in the short to medium term be leaving their friends and extended family behind. For many children they will find their “friends for life” in their early years and being taken away from this social network can be difficult and can see tears and tantrums.
However, a number of people on the thread have suggested that while initially there may be issues and problems regarding homesickness, etc, it would appear that the younger the children the shorter this difficult period may be. Let’s not forget that children are often better at acclimatising themselves with new environments and new situations than adults!
Education
The vast majority of countries which attract significant expat communities will no doubt have a host of different schools to choose from including state schools, private schools and international schools. In many ways, once you have found the perfect solution and perfect school for your children there should be no major issues going forward if they are happy and able to make friends. It has to be said that education is one of the main considerations which many people have when looking to move overseas and taking a young family with them.
It is also worth remembering that while international schools will often focus upon “British style education” there will also the opportunity to widen the scope and experience of your children at a relatively early age which will obviously stand them in good stead in the future.
Social circles
While any parent will always be concerned that their children are unable to make friends in their new country and their new homeland it is worth remembering that children need the opportunity to mix with each other and get to know each other. Many expats may be tempted to cocoon their children within the expat community although can very often lead to problems in later life and where possible it is probably advisable to let them mix with the local community as well.
For many people the expat community in any foreign country will be a very useful and important safety net, but it is vital that you also appreciate the local community, local culture and local practices.
Choosing where to live
Choosing where to live in a foreign land is not only vital for the family overall but it is also very important for any children involved. A new mod con, such as a swimming pool, will often take their mind off the fact they are thousands of miles away from home and allow them to focus more upon their new home than what they may have left behind. The same is also applicable for local services, local facilities and local activities which will allow your children to relax and also give them something to look forward to.
Returning home
Interestingly, a number of people on the thread have commented on the fact that while their children have had problems settling in a new homeland it would appear that more and more are unwilling to move back home at the end of a short to medium-term stint overseas. If nothing else this shows the amazing skills of young children to accommodate their local community, local society and local facilities. While it has to be said that all children are not the same, and there will be some who will find it difficult to settle overseas, the vast majority, given the opportunity, would learn to accommodate and learn to appreciate their new environment.
Future development of your children
While there are still millions upon millions of people around the world who will never leave their home town let alone their home country, the world is now a more closely connected unit with the Internet for one opening many avenues with regards to education, leisure and employment. The Internet is set to become more and more important in everyday life and everyday business and those children and young adults who are able to use their past experience in overseas countries will obviously be more prepared for any overseas ventures or overseas job opportunities.
It is well known that the wider the experience your children receive in earlier life the more settled and more amenable they will be in later life. Sheltering your children is a defensive mechanism which many people will use when moving overseas for a short to medium-term stint but ultimately you have to wonder if you’re doing your child more harm than good by overprotecting them?
Conclusion
There are many issues to consider when looking at a move overseas and one of the main ones is, and always will be, your children and how they will adapt and accommodate their potential new homeland. Many people will have called off moves overseas because of their children however a number of reports show that children, potentially the younger the better, will often settle better than older people in a new land.
As we mentioned above, the worldwide employment market, the worldwide leisure market and worldwide education market are becoming more and more part of everyday life. The Internet has opened up many opportunities for people to work overseas and if you have some experience “outside of your comfort zone” then this will always be a positive factor in the future.
However, you do need to balance this against the fact that no two families are the same and different adults and different children have different needs. No two people are identical!
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