• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

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Tips on How to Prepare Your Children for Moving to Portugal

Portugal is one of the most appealing relocation destinations in Europe. It’s one of the safest countries in the world, it has one of the lowest costs of living in Europe, its beaches are rated amongst the best in the world and its capital, Lisbon, enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year. Taking your family to Portugal will be an enriching and memorable experience for them, but it will also be stressful and challenging at times. It’s always easier to stay put rather than embrace change, but if you prepare your children sensitively, you’ll be amazed at how quickly they adapt.

Let your children’s opinions be heard.

You are the adult, you make the decisions, and your children will trust you to take care of them, however that does not mean that their opinions don’t count for anything. It’s important that you are aware of your children’s thoughts and feelings about the move. If you listen to what they’ve got to say you’ll be able to assuage their anxieties and correct any misconceptions they have. Ultimately, the important decisions will be yours, but hearing what your children think is an important part of the process.

See things from your children’s point of view.

Your priorities are very different from your children’s and it’s important to try and put yourself in their shoes in order to better understand how the prospect of leaving behind everything with which they are familiar might feel.

Reassure your children.

Your children really won’t have any idea of what to expect, but they may worry about all kind of imaginary things. Don’t just dismiss their concerns, talk them through and talk to them about some of the very positive ways in which their life will change.

Address what will change.

There will be some aspects of the move that your children will find upsetting, principally the separation from family and friends. Don’t try and sweep these issues under the rug, talk them through so that they don’t hit your children out of the blue once they have moved. Explain that they can keep in touch with video calls and that travelling from Portugal to the U.K. is quicker than travelling from the south of England to Scotland.

Let your children feel involved in the move as much as possible.

A good way to get your children involved and excited about the move is to look at properties in which you might live, online, using a real estate platform like Imovirtual. This will also have the benefit of giving them a visual image of what their new life could be like.

Teach them about the culture and the language.

Moving to another country is a wonderful learning opportunity for children. Portugal has a rich and fascinating history reflected in its traditions and customs, learning about them together is a great way to get the most out of your relocation. Learning a new language may seem a daunting task, but children immersed in a new language pick it up astonishingly quickly. Start them off with an online language course like Duolingo, which works at their level and pace and is completely free.

 

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