New Job, Moving a Lot, How to Prepare the Kidlets?

[Belleweather]

I'm about to take a job in international development, which means that there are major moves in our future -- we'll move within the US for training, where we'll be for anywhere from 3 months to a year, and then basically my job will move us to a new and different developing country every 2-3 years until I either retire or quit. (Yes, I consider this a perk!)

I've got a little bit of time before training starts, but since it's such a big change I'm thinking about ways to start breaking the idea down and explaining it to my kids, who are 5 and 3, in an age appropriate way. I'm especially concerned with the 5 year old who is precocious and is very much looking forward to going to school and riding the yellow bus and carrying a lunchbox to school, which aren't likely to be a part of his school experience. (They'll either be homeschooled by my awesome rockstar husband, or they'll go to international schools, which likely won't have a yellow school bus, alas.)

I know I'm probably not going to get too many "been there, done that" responses, so I'm totally happy just to get other perspectives or ideas.

[Minxie]

I have moved a lot with my young son due to a layoff and taking two different jobs within a year time-frame so:

Make it exciting and adventurous! Talk about the fun things they will do and see in the new country/state.

Create a scrapbook with pictures and info about the new place, and read it with them. You can put pictures from your old place on one side and from the new on the next. Since you already know you will be moving several times, leave space for all the schools, etc.; designate several pages for schools, several for houses, several for friends and make notes about each. It will be come a cherished treasure as the years go by.

Start paring down their stuff NOW by attrition so that when you are ready to move, they only have the most important (to them) things to move.

When you do move, relate the new place to the old one:

"Here's your new school; look, they have fish just like your old one did."

"Here's our new supermarket; oh, they sell apples here, too!"

It sounds silly but you are trying to create a link between old and new; find the commonalities especially as you will be doing this more than once.

The most important thing is for you and your DH to be happy and comfortable with it, and remember change is unnerving to youngsters. If you can make the unfamiliar familiar, you will have half the battle won.

[Holland73]

Wow... lucky you! I am jealous.

I was an international school teacher in Austria and the Netherlands and have live and traveled extensively beyond that... but never with a child.

An EXCELLENT place for information and resources is the Expat Exchange. They do have various articles about moving with your child(ren) overseas, in addition to other great information.

Additionally, here is an article on another expat website that might be helpful: Preparing your kids for living abroad

Many years ago, I also did some extensive research on Third Culture Kids. "A third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their parents’ culture." You should definitely check out their site: TCKWorld. Lots of great information.

Finally, check in the Tribes area to find other expat families.