Moving overseas is quite an undertaking, even for one person. Moving overseas with small children comes with its own set of challenges. But it can also be one of the biggest, most wonderful adventures both you and your children could experience. If you approach it with the right attitude and diligent planning, your relocation can go smoothly and stress-free. Here are 3 steps you should never skip when planning your family’s big move.

Step 1: Do your research

Whatever the reason for your move, you probably know the city or region you’ll be living in. Make sure to research neighborhoods and suburbs in the area in advance. The goal is to find the safest and most family-friendly communities. With the right pre-move preparations, most expats settle in well during their first year. Most of them proceed to enjoy an abundantly rewarding experience. But the importance of finding the right place to live in the right neighborhood cannot be overstated.

Research school term times and enrolment procedures. You might be in the position to choose the time of your move. If so, the best option would be to have your children enrolled in school at the start of the school year. Even in your home country, starting a child in a new school in the middle of the school year can be hard for them. Imagine adding a new country and probably a new language to that. So, why not make it a lit bit easier for them? In many countries, schools offer summer camps in July and August. This could be a good opportunity for your child to acclimate to your new home. Maybe even meet some of their new classmates to be. All in a more relaxed and fun environment. It’s certainly something worth checking out before definitively setting the time of your move.

Try to find expat communities in your new country before relocating. It’ll help you learn more about the life that awaits you. You might even make new friends for you and your kids before your move. That would definitely contribute to you settling in faster.

Step 2: Prepare small children for moving abroad

Communication

Try to find the right time to break the news to your children. As you know, children are sensitive and can feel when something is out of the ordinary. Be sure to let them know before they accidentally overhear something or find out about it from someone else. Keep communication with your kids open and honest. Acknowledge the importance of the move and help them understand the reasons that prompted it. Bring up the subject in a conversation often and encourage them to ask questions. Answer with age-appropriate information.

Preparation

Familiarize your kids with the country you are relocating to in a fun and creative ways. You could learn fun facts together and create your own trivia game, whatever seems interesting both to you and your children. If you’re moving to a country with a different language, learn the language together. Mix it into your daily life in fun ways, like playing with your kids and learning together to name the toys in the new language.

Moving abroad with small children is in many ways easier than with older kids. Older children will find it harder to deal with moving to a different country than younger ones. That’s because they have far deeper roots where they are. Young kids are highly adaptable.

• Moving abroad with babies or toddlers. They’ll have no emotional issues with moving overseas. They are too young to understand what is happening and will likely be very accepting of the changes. As far as the physical move itself, it is crucial to leave bottles, comforters, and toys out of the main luggage so they have them for the journey.
• Moving overseas with small children (age 4 to 8). As with babies and toddlers, they will also adapt much more easily. They have friends at school, but they will soon make new ones at their new school and their old life will be somewhat forgotten. This age group can start to learn a new language with ease. Of course, you will need to make it fun and adapt the learning depending on age and skill level, but children are like sponges –  they absorb everything.

Step 3: Hire a reliable overseas moving company

When moving overseas with small children, you’ll have to spend a good amount of time preparing your children for the move. Try to avoid making big overseas relocation mistakes. It would be of immense help to hire a good and reliable moving company. A company that knows how to handle moving overseas. To achieve a seamless international relocation, put an effort into searching for the right moving company. Don’t hesitate to contact them and ask any questions you might have. Also, visit their website, see if the company has good reviews from other customers. Familiarize yourself with their insurance policy and their price list.

Having professional movers with years of experience, like Kokusai Express Japan, taking care of shipping your items to your new overseas home will leave you with more time for your kids. They will provide you with all the necessary information about customs, insurance and everything you need for the move.

It’s important to make a list of items that you need to move to your new home and sell or donate stuff you won’t be needing. If your move isn’t permanent, or if you aren’t sure what to do with some of your belongings, warehouse Japan is the solution. If you decide later you want them in your new home, you can get them shipped. That also applies if you need to store your items until you are able to enter your new home after relocation abroad. When it comes to packing itself, you can do that part yourself, or leave it to professionals. Keep in mind that, like with everything else, a good organization makes it easier and less stressful.