What are the Present Issues when Moving Your Family Overseas
- Do It Right
- Dec-09-2011
- Moving Overseas
Before you decide on moving your family overseas, there are a lot of issues which you need to consider. Having your family move overseas is not as simple as packing up and leaving. Before you actually decide on moving your family overseas, you need to consider what they would think.
A lot of children grow up resenting their parents decision to move during what they feel is an important part of their life. You need to consider if moving your family overseas would be better for you in the long run. You need to stop considering what you will get now. You need to start thinking about whether or not the sacrifices will be worth it.
If you are set on moving your family overseas, the next issue you have to tackle is how to break the news to them. Some people like to announce that their family is moving overseas directly to the point. Some even like to emphasise that there is nothing anyone can do about it. This would be very bad since it basically tells your children that they don’t have any say as to what happens with their lives. Even if you have decided on moving the family overseas, you still need to listen to what your kids have to say about it. You need to show them that you care about their feelings.
Another reason for listening to their opinions is the fact that you need to assuage their fears. You need to tell them that despite their worries, everything will be okay. By listening to what they think, you will have an idea regarding their fears. By learning about their various problems with moving the family overseas, you will be able to find solutions to those problems.
After you have broken the news to the family, the time has come to make the preparations.
You need to learn as much about the country as possible. If you are moving your family overseas to a country with a different language, you should think about learning the language together. Try to use it daily when you are with your family.
Culture shock is also a potential problem when moving your family overseas so you should definitely try to learn about the various customs and cultures of the foreign country before you go there.
Another thing that contributes to culture shock is the differences in small, previously disregarded things like measurements and electricity features.
If you are moving your family overseas to a country which uses different standards of measurement and different voltages of electricity, you need to learn about these things so that life would not be harder for you and your family.
Preparation also means you should try to take care of the various little details concerning moving your family overseas.
- Where are you going to stay?
- Where are the children going to continue their education?
- What stuff will you take with you and which would you leave behind?
- How are you going to move your stuff overseas?
- How much is it going to cost and can I save money somehow?
These are the questions that you need to answer.
You should also think about the legalities involved in moving your family overseas. This includes the passports and other papers that you are going to need. You should also think about what you are leaving behind. You should try to decide what to do with your various possessions.
Moving your family overseas can be difficult, but with the right attitude, you can tackle the job.
Some reading for you…
Moving your household goods overseas affordably – the DIY approach
Our DIY International Relocations site – everything you need to know
Packing up your Household goods
What insurance do I need
Council regulations when packing your own container
What can’t I take overseas with me?