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Your Guide to Moving Abroad with Children
Moving abroad can be a stressful experience at the best of times. If you have children it can be even more daunting, but the right sort of preparation and planning should solve any problems and help to ensure your move goes smoothly.
Norfolk international removals company Hamiltons Removals has a wealth of experience in helping families move to destinations in Europe, North America, Canada and many other worldwide destinations. Here are our top tips for making sure that your children can enjoy moving abroad as much as you do.
Talk to Them About the Move
It is important that your children feel part of the process, so you need to explain to them the reasons for the move at an early stage. Make sure you listen to any concerns they have and encourage them to find out more about where they are moving to themselves – they may even think of something you haven’t.
Exploring what the new area has to offer online can throw up a range of opportunities, such as new hobbies for them to take up. For instance, if you are relocating to Switzerland or Austria, your children might enjoy a taste of winter sports, and if you are moving to the US they could take up cheerleading or American sports like baseball.
Know the Legal Position
Making sure you have all the relevant documentation for the children as well as yourself is just the start. There are also other legal formalities to bear in mind when moving abroad, so you will need to acquaint yourself with all the rules and regulations, and the benefits your children are entitled to, which may include free language tuition. Hamiltons Removals will be able to happy to provide advice about all the paperwork you will need for your chosen country, as well as customs information and relocation guides.
Selecting Their School
This will be one of the most important factors for both you and your children when starting a new life abroad, and again forward planning is essential. Apart from the basics of where it is and how they will get there, you will also need to know what is on the curriculum and whether they have to learn a new language. With teenagers, exams are of course a major consideration.
If possible, talk to other parents and expats and the local education authorities both in this country and in your chosen destination. This way you can learn many details about how schools operate and what the culture is like, as well as at what age your child goes to what school, what exams they have to take, and when the holidays are.
Again, it is a good idea to make sure your children are fully involved in all the decision making. If there is a choice, for instance between the local state school or an internationally accredited day or boarding school, they may have a strong view on which they would prefer.
One good idea is to move during your new country’s main holiday. This will not necessarily be in our UK summer, depending on where you are moving to. The extra few weeks before school starts can be vital in giving your children the chance to learn some of the new language and culture before they start school.
What Age is Best?
Generally younger children are thought to be more adaptable than older ones, and might find any move less difficult. They also could find learning a new language and skills quite natural. If your children are older or in their teens, they might be more concerned about leaving friends behind.
If this is the case, you could let them invite a friend over to stay over during the holidays, or arrange a visit to stay with friends back in the UK, so they have something to look forward to.
Also, in these days of instant internet access, social media and Skype, there is no need for your children to feel isolated from their friends, even when they are on the other side of the world. If you make sure you have got all the relevant internet connections and accounts sorted out in advance, they will be able to chat to friends easily while they get used to their new life.
Norfolk international removals experts Hamiltons Removals can help organise your move to a wide range of countries including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Our European destinations include France, Germany, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands. As part of our services we also offer storage facilities at completely secure and alarmed premises in Harleston. Click on the link for an online removal quote.
5 Top Choices for International House Moves in 2017
Now that spring is here and summer holidays are fast approaching, many people are making plans for their future, which could include a house move. This may not be simply to a new home down the road, but to a totally different country, if you fancy a complete change of lifestyle. But which are the most popular destinations?
There are many factors to consider, such as climate, cost of living and tourist attractions. Hamiltons Removals can organise your whole move, whether you are moving house to Europe or the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.
Here are five of the most popular places for those people who have decided that 2017 is the year to be on the move.
Berlin: If you are moving for work, the German capital has a growing reputation for attracting start-up businesses and technology companies. Berlin also has a wealth of outdoor attractions, boasting two zoos and plenty of open spaces like the Tiergarten in the centre and the Grunewald Forest to the southwest.
Other places of interest include the Reichstag, the Cathedral, the world-famous Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, one of the points of entry between east and west Berlin when the city was divided by the Wall. The city also has a thriving nightlife scene and a number of major sporting venues. The Olympic Stadium hosted both the 1936 Olympics and the final of the 2006 football World Cup.
Toronto: If you are moving home to Canada, this city has a large ethnic population and plenty of students too, reflected in a cosmopolitan food and art scene. Expats rate the city highly for friendly attitudes and the ease of settling in.
Attractions include the CN Tower, from which you can see all of the city, as it stands over 550metres tall. There are than 250 stores in the massive Toronto Eaton shopping centre, while the Yonge-Dundas Square nearby hosts community celebrations, theatrical events, promotions and concerts.
Melbourne: This Australian city has the country’s second largest population (4.6 million, after Sydney, which just tops 5 million). It is top of the latest InterNations Expat Insider survey which polled 14,000 expats, because of its fine reputation for a good work-life balance among residents.
Availability of leisure activities also helped push the city to the top of the charts – it hosts Formula 1 motor racing, Test cricket matches, Australian Open tennis, plus other leading domestic sports fixtures. Nature-lovers should enjoy the Royal Botanic Gardens, on the banks of the Yarra River, and the city’s zoo, which has more than 300 species of animals. Those who want a reminder of the UK should check out Captain Cook’s Cottage, which was transported from his home in Yorkshire and erected in the city’s Fitzroy Gardens.
Geneva: Those who head straight for the neighbouring mountains on a skiing holiday in a nearby resort are missing out on all this Swiss city has to offer. Expats say Geneva has great job prospects and a very high standard of living, although that does mean some things can be quite pricey.
Geneva has been dubbed the world’s peace capital. As well as being the venue for a number of international peace talks, the city is also home to HQs of the Red Cross and the United Nations. The city’s famous watermark, the Jet d’eau, regularly shoots a water jet 140 metres into the sky. The city’s Old Town, an ancient maze of small streets and picturesque squares full of shops, cafes and restaurants, can take you back hundreds of years.
Stockholm: The Swedish capital is the birthplace of Skype and Spotify and the city has a growing reputation for being a major tech hub, like Berlin. As a result its economy is forecast to have one of the highest growth rates in Europe. Work-life balance is also a massive part of the culture and the country is experimenting with six-hour workdays. The World Health Organisation says it is the cleanest capital city on Earth, due largely to the drive to get people out of cars and onto bikes, and cutting down on unnecessary waste.
The city is home to a variety of museums. The Vasa has the only preserved 17th century ship in the world; the Royal Palace, which is open to the public and has five museums, even though it is the official residence of the King of Sweden; and, for those who like their history more recent, the Abba Museum, which also incorporates the Swedish Music Hall of Fame. The city boasts more than 1,000 restaurants as well as a number of parks and art galleries.
If you are moving house to Europe, Hamiltons Removals operates weekly to most destinations on the continent, including France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Gibraltar.
Hamiltons’ international department can organise and streamline your move to Canada, Australia, the USA, South Africa and New Zealand and a host of other worldwide destinations. Click on the link for more information about the services we can offer and the countries we cover.