TIPS FOR
Settling in
to be documented so that the service equates to business expertise. Before you again become fully employed, use any free time to enjoy your new community. Refer to websites such as www.volun-
• Write down three or four goals to achieve in your new city. • Continue all your special family celebrations and traditions.
teermatch.org for guidance in selecting a volunteer position.
SUCCESSFULLY RELOCATING YOUR SMALLEST MOVERS The majority of relocating families have dependent children. If you are moving with children, you probably researched schools before moving; however, personal school visits will transform
• Share some of your family’s special recipes and cultural aspects with new acquaintances and neighbors.
the unknown into reality. Visits to new schools to survey the classrooms and meet teachers will go a long way to allay your, and your children’s worries about the new environment.
• Keep a log of new experiences and accomplishments.
Listen carefully to each child’s concerns—every move can bring new issues to the surface. Encourage your children to maintain contact with former friends, even while trying to
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Give everyone in the family manageable moving chores (taking care of practical matters will take the edge off homesickness).
make new friends. Exchanging photos, having e-mail access and possibly a cell phone with a camera feature can help bridge the gap between old and new friends during the early weeks in a new location.
• Join an athletic or special interest group.
DEALING WITH CHALLENGES Keep in mind that every stage and every age can bring new chal-
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Get involved in community and/or religious organizations, especially those that sponsor activities, volunteer efforts and programs for newcomers.
lenges. Children who sailed through the last move could be in an entirely different place emotionally and physically for this move, so parents cannot assume that a child will ease into the current move. Routinely share accomplishments and challenges with each other and talk about ways to overcome difficulties. Children need to know that even though the parents are respon-
• Learn about the local government, issues and politics.
sible for uprooting them, you both have challenges to face, and you need to work together as a family to solve them.
• Most importantly, be patient and take one day at a time.
The following signs may indicate that children are struggling with the adjustment: sudden reading difficulties, changes in attention span or study habits, weight loss or gain, altered enthusiasm or energy
HELPFUL WEBSITES
levels, strained relationships with you
American Medical Association
www.ama-assn.org
Monster.com
www.monster.com
American School Directory
www.asd.com
National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
www.naccrra.org
Elder Care Locator
www.eldercare.gov
American Animal Hospital Association Hospital Locator
www.aaha.org
Advice for Volunteers
www.serviceleader.org
Parents Without Partners, Inc.
www.parentswithoutpartners.org
or their siblings, or disturbed sleep patterns. Stay closely involved with your children during the early months in a new location so you know how they are feeling, what they are thinking and who their new friends are. Consider volunteering or get involved with the school so that you can see for yourself how your children are managing. Both adults and children need the stability and comfort of established routines, so keep the same rules, bedtimes, mealtimes, allowances and expectations that you had
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