Expat kids and primary steps to deal with culture shock
Interested what’s happening in your children’s head after relocating abroad? Of course, you’ll do everything in your power to ensure that your child is happy and gets the best IB schools Singapore has – but is that enough?
Sometimes you’ll be the target of your children’s frustration and resentment over the move, so you’ll want to ensure that you won’t be causing them more pain. As the entire family struggles with culture shock, you don’t want to feel even more guilty and crippled with self-doubt.
In this article, we’ll focus on the expatriate families sent abroad for business reasons. You need to figure out what to do and how to deal with the kids. So, what can parents like us do to make the transition smoother?
There are 3 pillars of culture shock according to the work from prominent experts in the field. Culture shock can trigger different reactions based on age, place in the family and the level of decision in the moving process.
Consider these primary steps required to deal successfully with your kid’s and your family’s culture shock.
Stress management. Expatriation means change. And change leads to stress. Even if the change is positive! Changing your home and neighborhood, getting used to a new school, making new friends, discovering new food, learning a new language: these are big changes among others that your kids and your family will face.
This is why the ability to overcome and marching through the adversities of life vital. This is called being resilient. And it will make a real difference. The good news is that learning how to become more resilient is doable.
Better communication. Interacting successfully in another society can be hard for your kids, so helping them figure out the new school and neighborhood environment is a must. Obvious differences can be noticed right away, but there are so many hidden references you might not see. For instance, eating: in one culture, it’s polite to be loud when eating in front of the guests. In another country, it’s insulting because people assume that you don’t have manners.
Finding a sense of identity. Your kids should never lose their sense of identity even when staying lengthily abroad. The reactions and quirks from the people in the new country can influence their identity fast, so it’s your job as a parent to continually exercise your own culture while at home while respecting the host country’s custom as well.
In my family’s experience, the fiercest shock comes with the many changes in the months following the move while the deepest impacts are for identity building and intercultural skills later on.
End Note
Indeed, one of the best ways to avoid culture shock is to enrol your kids in one of IB schools Singapore has, specifically in international schools like the Global Indian International School, which as the name implies is a fantastic choice for Indian expats and even the domestic populace looking for a world-class education within reach. Check them out.
There is no magic formula for guaranteed success, but the steps above should lead you to the right direction and allow your kids to get the best education possible at their stage. So, what’s your strategy to assist your children in navigating these troubled waters? Share it with us!
