Moving up and living in a new country is a hard step. No matter how many years you have spent away from your home, you can still feel out-of-place at times. Bringing up your children in a foreign country is even more challenging. Expat parents have many worries on their mind that directly have to do with their kids. Here are the most common of them, as well as a few tips that will help you overcome them.
Will my kids be bullied because they are different?
The thing about bullying and teasing is that most of the time there is no apparent reason. Nearly everyone has been bullied, more or less, when they were kids. This means that your children are also not likely to escape it. However, if you are worried that with your kids the case may be worse, then you should talk to their teachers. In addition, you can talk to the parents of their school mates and ask them for more understanding and tolerance. Also, it would be probably better if you settle in a multicultural area. For example, British kids in Dubai are more likely to be bullies due to the superior attitude of their parents. However, parents from other nationalities should quickly set the tone straight and warn the school about the such bahaviour. Bullying could have a long-lasting effect on a child’s personality.
Will my kids acquire the local accent?
This depends on a lot of factors? In UAE, the local accent is almost non existent, because the local people are very small percentage of the population and the majority of them are fluent in English. First, if your children were born here or if they have arrived in the country at young age, they will most certainly pick up some accent up to some level. However, if you frequently communicate with them on your mother tongue from a very young age, they will be able to speak both languages fluently and with a minimal trace of any foreign accent. Don’t worry that this may confuse your kids. Children can learn languages pretty quickly and they will have no problem learning two at the same time.
How will they connect with their friends and family in our home country?
Many expat parents worry that their kids will have a hard time getting used to the new atmosphere after they move to the country. What they do not realize is that children are very adaptive. In fact, they will get used to the new place faster than them. The hard part will be actually to keep them attached to their roots. Luckily for you, modern technology can help you in this task. Ask your kids to regularly write to their relatives in your home country. They can communicate through emails, social networks and Skype. In addition, they can write letters and send parcels. Any form of communication is good, as long as it is regular.
Will we be able to make it without our friends and family around us?
Some parents are actually relieved that their friends and family are not always there to mingle with their lives. However, without them, you may find it harder to take care of your children. National holidays and other family occasions are particularly difficult times. Without your relatives and friends by your side, you may not get the support or advice you need. A good solution in this situation is to look for parenting groups in your area or to travel abroad.
Will my kids get good education?
Just like in your home country, when looking for a school in which to enroll your children, you need to make a research. However, as an expat parent you should start before you move to country or long before you need to enroll the kids. Again, you can try searching for multicultural schools. In Dubai, the education is not developed at the same level as in Europe or North America. Education is perceived as a profitable business and parents should be ready to spend too much and in the same time to give too much by them selves at home to compensate.
Like all parents, expat parents have their worries. Although theirs may be slightly more, there are always solutions. The key is to stay calm and focused in order to find what works for you.
