Moving to Australia With Children - Settlement Strategies

Some of the key issues for children relocating to Australia may be:

1) Language barriers

Even with English language proficiency, which educational institutes require for enrollment, children may find Australian slang and style of language difficult to comprehend at first. Many foreigners finding the Australian accent quite broad with elongated vowel tones eg. 'say' is often pronounced as 'saaay'. The use of sarcasm, irreverence, self-deprecating humour, mischievousness and disregard for rigid norms of propriety can also be found within Australian classrooms and school yards. Phrases such as 'Good onya' and 'No worries mate' can be used both positively and sarcastically which can be confusing for newcomers.

It is also common for students to assign nicknames to their classmates, especially males, which is often done in Australia by extending or shortening someone's surname. eg. Peter White is likely to become 'Whitey' and Tim Robinson 'Robbo'. This practice is not seen as disrespectful but rather a ritual of mateship.

2) Different school system and education style and expectations

The approach used within Australian schools and further education institutions may be perceived as different to other countries. For example Australian educators & trainers may:

* Actively encourage students to problem solve and learn through questioning

* Require less memorising and more practical based learning

* Focus on developing students interest and enthusiasm for learning

* Require students to have good self-discipline

* Provide regular feedback to students about their studies and behaviour

* Encourage individual thinking and participation

* Hold regular class discussions and debates

* Place emphasis on personal, intellectual and emotional growth

* Assess the above as part of student's grades

If a student is not used to this type of learning then it may impact their self-esteem and confidence. This approach can be particularly challenging for children from Asian and other non-European backgrounds who may be used to a more formal school room setting. Australian students usually call their teachers by their first names, with the exception of young children who use titles such as 'Mr', 'Mrs' or 'Ms', or those attending more prestigious schools where 'Sir' and 'Madam' may still be the tradition.

3) Leaving friends and making new ones

It can be daunting to move to a new school even within the same area, let alone another country like Australia. While Australians are generally friendly to newcomers, there can still be some students who may not be as welcoming, perhaps even being racist or bullying.

The distance between Australia and other countries can also impact the opportunities to visit old friends, compatible time zones for phone calls, and the costs of communicating long distance. When Australian students are finishing school for the day, their overseas friends are likely to be getting ready to head off to school.

To help children settle in Australia, the following strategies are suggested:

a) Communication

Prepare the children for what their life in Australia will be like. Talk about Australian specific activities such as Australian Rules Football (AFL), swimming on Australian beaches such as on the Gold Coast in Queensland, as well as things they may look forward to such as seeing Australian kangaroos, koalas and platypus. Getting children to draw, paint or write about their impressions of Australia can be helpful eg. Australian animals and famous landmarks like Sydney's Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Read stories about Australia, particularly well-known Australian books so they may know similar stories and characters to their Australian peers. The Children's Book Council of Australia's website details some popular books. Watch Australian TV, movies and DVDs that are suitable for their age group. The Wiggles, Bindi the Jungle Girl, Neighbours, Home & Away are just a few.

Maintain open lines of communication throughout the move process. Contact the Australian school's student services, or school counsellors for further advice or research online. Australian schools are required to deal with bullying and racism in line with Australian legislation on child protection and welfare, and each school can provide further guidance on the programs they have in place.

b) Involvement

Children will not be able to help in all areas of the move to Australia, however where they can assist it is a good idea. It will make them feel more in control and part of the relocation. Involve children in the discussions and decision-making where appropriate, which many Australian parents would do. Children can also help with practical activities if able such as determining what to pack for Australia. Discussions about clothing will also be useful. For example 'thongs' are worn on the feet but are also underwear, and 'budgie smugglers' are tight-fitting short bathers but are seen as suitable only for competitive swimmers and lifeguards (a teenager wouldn't be caught dead in a pair on the beach).

Give children an opportunity to explore Australia before arriving. Look at websites to see where they will be living, as well as pictures of Australian landscapes, houses, schools and shops. This will help children to become more familiar with their new environment. Google Earth can provide some great visuals of Australia including aerial views. Try entering the route from the airport to the initial destination eg. Sydney airport to Sydney Harbour and watch the 'aerial flight' together so it becomes more familiar. Likewise the route to and from school.

Many Australian schools have websites which parents and children should explore together. Providing as much advance knowledge as possible will help them to feel more secure about the changes that are happening. Websites will usually outline the type of subjects they will be undertaking, what the school uniform is like, and pictures of students participating in different activities.

Get children involved in their new life once in Australia. Children often adjust more easily to a new environment than adults as they are more intensely involved in the life of the new society. Australian school life, for example, provides a great opportunity to make friends and therefore to integrate into the life of a new community.

c) Timing

It may be better for younger children to be told closer to the time so less build up of stress, especially if there is risk of them telling others before appropriate. Some children may respond favourably to the move, so can be told earlier. It may depend a lot on how well they have handled changes in the past, and how well they deal with stress, making new friends etc.

It is also important not to communicate items until they are finalised eg. what school they will be going to, as changes may cause confusion and concern.

If possible, relocate to Australia the beginning of a new school term. This allows children to start the new school year fresh, instead of having to endure being 'the new kid' in the middle of a term.

The Australian academic school year starts in late January/early February and finishes in late December. The year is divided into four terms in most states & territories, with each term lasting for around ten weeks. Tasmania has three terms which are therefore longer in duration.

There are short 2-3 week breaks between most terms, except for the long summer holiday period at the end of the school year from late December. Private schools, including Catholic schools, may slightly vary their holiday breaks so specific information should be obtained directly from each school.

Schools also have student free days each year for curriculum & school development. Only teachers attend on these days, so parents need to provide care for their children if they are not independent enough to be at home on their own.

d) Making New Friends

Children need to be encouraged to make new friends, but also to maintain contact with old friends who can provide familiarity, especially if the child will be returning to the old location in the future. Once settled in a new home, consider hosting a welcoming celebration or party for children's friends and their parents.

In Australia it is common courtesy to meet the parents of children's friends, so parents may want to meet you before allowing their child to visit at your house with your child/ren. However meeting other parents can also provide an opportunity to start developing support networks or advice on settling children in Australia.

A useful website is http://www.kidspot.com.au/schoolzone/index.asp.

e) Explore Feelings

Children will have similar feeling to adults when faced with a relocation, including sadness, apprehension, anxiety and home sickness. It can also be stressful to find themselves in an unfamiliar Australian environment, perhaps learning different Australian school subjects than they are used to creating further apprehension and lack of self-confidence.

Their feelings may even be stronger as they may not be able to balance their thoughts as well. It is important to let children talk through their fears, anxiety and concerns, and provide as much comfort as possible. They should feel secure and encouraged to talk about their concerns.

Children are naturally adventurous and can also become very excited about their new life in Australia. This needs to be balanced with their commitments to current studies and friends.

Australia has a Kids Helpline website that provides useful information and support by phone, website or email.

f) Organise Farewells

If children will be having an upcoming birthday or holiday in Australia that they had previously planned to have at home, allow them to have an early celebration with their friends before leaving if possible. If not possible, consider celebrating in Australia upon arrival with Australian flag & animal decorations and party food such as pavlova, Tim Tams and Caramello Koala chocolates.

Remind them to collect email and home addresses, so that they can keep in touch with friends after the move. This may need to be done on behalf of younger children. Planning a goodbye sleepover or small break for children at a trusted contact's house may also provide parents with time to undertake tasks such as packing.

g) Provide Ongoing Support in Australia

Children will often need help to integrate into Australia, especially if attending school and at the age where they need to make new friends. Parents can fall into the trap of focusing on all the tasks that need to be done upon arrival, however should also dedicate time to helping children to settle.

This task also applies to any children who have remained overseas eg. for educational reasons, who will also need to integrate into that new lifestyle. These activities should be undertaken within the first few weeks of arrival to help make the transition easier from the start, and then ongoing as needed.

Review the children who are impacted and what issues & concerns there may be. Research ways to minimise these and help the children to deal with the changes they face.

Research shows that focusing on strengthening family bonds can be beneficial for relocating children. Reinforce ties by verbalising parental support, love and commitment to making the move a success for the child.

The Australian 'Raising Children' website can be another great source of information - http://raisingchildren.net.au/school_age/school_age.html.

Immigrating to Australia as a family is very different to relocating as a single person or couple, so it is good to be prepared for the challenges and enjoyment this may bring.

There are many elements to moving to Australia with children successfully. In addition to settlement strategies, there are educational, recreational and health issues to consider to name a few. Moving2plan's unique online relocation tool can provide valuable assistance. Take a free tour or learn more about the application at http://www.moving2plan.com.au.

Making It Easy for Children When Moving Overseas

Moving abroad with children requires a lot of planning in advance to make the transition as easy as possible for everyone. There's no doubt that you'll be faced with hitches along the way, but everything that you can do to prepare in advance for your children's new school needs will help you move your whole family overseas successfully.

Specialist agencies have helped hundreds of teachers and their families move to new teaching jobs abroad. This is the advice they have to offer for anyone moving overseas with school-age children, whatever the reason for your move:

Find out what schools are available in the area that you are moving to. Your company may well offer one, or a limited number of schools that you as a family can send your children to. This may include full payment or a contribution towards school fees. Make sure you know exactly what your company is paying for and the additional costs that you will incur. Tuition fees can just be the start of the expenses with costs for such things as uniform, resources and school trips ending up being very extensive.
Investigate the curriculum your children will be learning in their potential new schools. It may well be a school delivering the English National Curriculum or a curriculum that your children have learnt in their home country, but the approach to learning and the standards may be very different. Your child may well have done some of the work before or may have missed out on parts of the curriculum.
Be prepared for your children to be learning alongside many children where English is their second language. Some parents see this as a very positive experience, others feel that their children are being disadvantaged. Your child may be one of just a few children in the school speaking English. This may be an issue when it comes to making friends. Children can feel very isolated in situations like this or may end up in a very tight group of 'friends' they may otherwise not have chosen, just because of language similarities. Help your child to prepare for this, suggesting ways to make friends through non-verbal actions.
Check out the pastoral care provided within the school. Some schools have an onsite counsellor or assign a pastoral head of year, some schools have a buddy system for new children. Some schools are much better than others at helping new children settle.
Organise an interview with the Headteacher of your children's school upon arrival in your new country. Disclose all information about your children at that point in time; the more the school knows about your children the better they can support them. At this meeting schedule follow-up meetings with the Headteacher so that you can be sure of regular updates on your child's progress as they settle into their new school.
If your child is joining an international school where many expatriate children attend, then expect the school to be the social as well as the learning centre for the community. Parents are often far more involved with school activities, there may be regular family-oriented events and usually plenty of opportunities for parents to volunteer support. This all helps everyone to settle in quickly and easily.
Learn some simple phrases in the host country's language before moving out. Once you're there, use them when you can. This will not only help you to settle in with the local community but will also show your children what a difference making an effort with your local language can make.
Research sport and social clubs in the local community that your children may want to get involved with. It's a great way to get to know local people.

Go in open-minded. Moving to a new country opens up huge possibilities to become immersed in a different culture and this can be a very enriching experience for the entire family. Don't limit your new life entirely to the social community created from the school; be prepared to look further afield. But in your first few weeks, your children's school can be a common ground to help make friends, share experiences and feel a little bit of home away from home.

http://www.findteachingjobsoverseas.co.uk provides services to teachers trained in countries with English as a first language. Particularly the UK and USA but also Australia, and New Zealand amongst others. Our website provides information to help find teaching jobs abroad, teaching jobs overseas, and teaching jobs Europe.

How to Move Overseas With Children

Relocating abroad with children is an issue for parents who want to make a new start with their family in a new country. Parents worry though that moving overseas may not be fair on the children.

In fact often I think children find it easier to move overseas than their parents do. A young child will typically learn a new language much quicker than their parents - how often do you see a 5 year-old acting as the family interpreter?

Certainly younger children who are forced to move as refugees often do better than their older relatives. The trauma of taking on a whole new culture seems less in the young than those older people who much more invested in memories of what is not anymore and friends and relatives a long way away.

What though if relocation is a choice rather than survival? How to prepare kids for the move. The most important thing I think is to let children know what is being planned for the family sooner rather than later. These days even if you are moving to the other side of the world it doesn't mean that children will lose contacts with their friends. Older children and teens will stay in contact using MySpace and email - just like they do when they are "talking" to someone in the same room!

Also consider timing your move for the start of a new year. Starting a new school at the start of the year is always easier than coming in part-way school. So time a move to the southern hemisphere for January or to the northern hemisphere for August. Consider also the differences in curriculum especially for older children. Some subjects may not be available, others may be totally new: move to Eir and you will be studying Irish language, move to New Zealand and you may have to take some Maori culture courses.

Make sure children have what is needed to "fit in". If the norm in your new home is to go to school with sun hats and backpacks don't send them off with baseball caps and briefcases! Its always an issue joining an entirely new peer group - don't make it harder than it has to be with your rigid parental values.

Before they move children may be worried about "what ifs" - just the same way as you are. Don't say blandly "it will fine" - listen to their concerns and if there are easy questions (What time does school finish?) get on the Internet and find the answer for them!

Keep children involved in the huge family adventure of moving overseas - its not entirely their choice to relocate, but make it as easy as possible for them - after all as a family you need to pull together in a new country.

Moving overseas is a big decision for anyone to take. Mary has lived in six different countries and knows a lot about the issues involved with migration and living abroad. Mary created the Moving overseas: How To website to help others considering the big move to a new country.