Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Whether you have just been offered your dream job or you are seeking for a different environment to develop your career, it is always a complicated decision to move your family to another country. 
The usual concerns that come to mind are the social aspects, cultural differences, and potential opportunities to fit in. When it comes to children, psychological impact and education are generally at the top of the list as well.Let’s go through the basics of moving abroad.
In This Post:
Sharing Is Caring
There is an enormous amount of preparation to be done when moving to another country. Sorting out what you will take with you, visas, and work permits, tending to whichever assets you will leave behind, and the moving itself might be quite overwhelming. The temptation to “spare” children of this hassle is significant, yet it is highly recommended to let them know as soon as you know what’s going on. Sharing the information with your kids sooner rather than later will give then enough time to consider the idea, manifest their worries, and, hopefully, get used to it. Ideally, you want to encourage your kids to investigate the new country, the culture, and the language. Psychologists say that the more in touch they get with the new environment before they get there, the safer and more comfortable they will feel once they actually land there.Raising expectations on this new family adventure is a plus as long as you don’t overdo it. You want to inspire them, but you also want to avoid letting them down later on. Don’t make promises you can’t keep!
Make Them Part Of The Process
Having so many items on your to-do list makes time an even more significant asset. However, when it comes to supporting your children through this process, it’s less about time-management and more about getting them involved.
Packing Boxes
While you can quickly sort out their stuff and pack boxes, let them do it. Selecting their toys, clothes, tech, and so on will help them materialize the move and express their feelings more naturally so you can help them deal.
Selecting a New School
Selecting a new school is one of the tasks you want to start dealing with early on. Good schools tend to have more extensive waiting lists, for which you need to get hands-on. Apart from the fact of finding the right school, academically, that relays to a similar curriculum, your kids might need to sit for leveling exams to assess progress and language. Choosing a few workable options near the area where you will be living, and putting them forward to your kids, will make them engaged in the decision-making process and, therefore, more comfortable.
Deciding What to Do With the Pets
If you have pets in the family, you will be faced with the option of either finding a new home for them or taking them along with you. Children tend to be attached to their pets and leaving them behind can be quite dramatic, considering all the changes they will undertake already.Before making a final decision, you might want to check pet shipping, to make sure it is possible to travel with your pet at all. If so, there are criteria and documentation that you will need to work on, as well.
Home, New Home
Setting up a new home away from home can be logistic trouble as much as an emotional moment. Make sure that you carry with you a few items that help the family feel as much as home as they used to, right from the beginning. Another step to consider is what will you do with your property. Some choose to sell the house and cars and travel light. However, it is a viable option to put your home on a lease if you are planning to come back within a few years. Most countries have different policies when it comes to taxation on foreign property. Since you will become a resident, it is wise to check the tax law concerning property abroad and visit a website on the subject.
Final Thoughts
Dreams of a new life in a foreign country are always achievable, yet you want to make sure that your kids are as much on board as you are. Enhancing the experience as a family early on will pay off in the end.