This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
So your bags are packed and it is not a small journey that you are about to make. It is a journey that is a life changer for you and your family called migration, the process of uprooting from the homeland and trying to establish oneself in a strange land. While this may all sound adventurous, it is arduous and entails more stress than relaxation, at least till the dust settles. This process however could be even more stressful on your child, for whom familiar environments get replaced by strange and alien surroundings. It is likely that much is going to change, including language. Here are ten tips to keep in mind to help your child cope with the stress of immigration:
- Do the ground work: Learn as much as you can about the country you are migrating to. Cultural differences should be well acquainted with to avoid the popular culture shock phenomenon which can be a source of immense stress through embarrassment for a child.
- Search for schools: Whatever be the ground for your decision to migrate with your family, your child’s education is something that should always be prioritized. As long as the education front is kept well and active, adjustment problems shall fade. Use the internet to your advantage and search for the best schools in the locality that suit your finances as well.
- Introduce the land to your child: No better way to prepare your child for the new place than through books and visuals. Get travelogues that can be read by children, watch through the videos with them and slowly get them used to the fact that this is the new home.
- Pen-friends: This step works well before the actual migration. It helps if your child has an old fashioned pen friend (or an internet friend) in the new country for a friendly exchange.
- Language: If the main language spoken in the new country is not your child’s mother tongue as it will be in all probability, enroll your child in language classes. Children pick up languages very quickly and this will help them bridge any barriers.
- Social groups: Get your child to be active in social groups in the new school or the neighborhood as it promotes a feeling of belonging that helps in abating stress. It will help him meet more people and get acquainted with the culture of the land, helping him to settle down faster.
- Fashion: While this may seem a bit farfetched, if you put in a bit of effort into matching your child’s wardrobe to the trends of the new country, your child will find the stress of fitting into a new society less. Language and dress are two factors that help form an identity in a child.
- In the house: Support your child on all counts at home, listen to your child’s experiences and offer help when necessary. The home atmosphere should be kept as familiar as possible so that something that is already known is still accessible to the child.
- Money: This is not the child’s area of interest, it is yours! Invest, think intelligently and prepare not to be the cash-strapped immigrant. Check for possibilities online that open the opportunity for investment programs and so on. When your child feels your status in society is not that of an immigrant, your child shall also feel more at ease with the society in which he finds himself.
- Right company: While not being overbearing and intrusive, you should realize that your child is a total stranger to this new country and therefore needs some mentoring and guidance as to the new circle of friends. Try to acquaint yourself with their parents and give your wholehearted support to be a proud citizen of a new country while keeping your child happy.