Moving is a difficult and anxiety-provoking experience for everyone; children seem to be especially sensitive when it comes to relocating overseas. Your child may become angry, depressed or sad. He or she may have a great deal of anxiety about moving to a new town, going to a new school or making new friends. Your attitude towards everything will greatly influence your child’s. Stay upbeat! You can help your child cope with this experience and turn it from upsetting to exciting!

When going through an international relocation, you want to help your child understand what is going on and what to expect. Try the following tips to help your child feel better about your upcoming move overseas.

• Tell your child as soon as you know you are moving. Waiting may make the move seem last minute or rushed.
• Explain to your child the reason for your international relocation (i.e. a new job, family, etc.).
• Educate your child about the new city or country you will be relocating to. Make a game of it by trying foods and games associated with the country you will soon be calling home.
• Answer your child’s questions. I’m sure your child will have many questions regarding your international relocation. Welcome and encourage these questions as they will help your child better understand throughout the process.
• Give them a job to do! Depending on his/her age, make a list of jobs that he/she can do. Allowing them to be a part of the moving process in this way will help them to feel like an active part of your international relocation.
• Help your child pack some of his/her favorite personal items. It will take several weeks for your shipment of belongings to arrive at your new home. It may help your child to feel more comfortable during this time if he/she is surrounded by some familiar things.
• Let your child decorate his/her new room. This will give your child something to look forward to while moving, while also give him/her some control in the situation.

Make the trip fun!

Your child is feeling better about your international relocation, your bags are packed, your furniture is on its way and it’s time to go! Make the trip fun for your child. This will help your child keep his/her mind off of any last minute feelings of sadness or anxiety. For younger children, pack a fun bag of special comfort objects, activities, small toys and snacks. This will help keep your child occupied throughout your long trip. Your child will be too busy coloring pictures and eating fun snacks to complain! Then, if your child gets tired their favorite comfort object will be ready and waiting for them. Never make the mistake of packing those things away!

Older children are more likely to be concerned with fitting in and leaving the life they have known behind. Try to get them acquainted with all of the unknowns they are concerned about. Show them videos and pictures of the new place you are moving overseas to. If possible, take a trip there ahead of time and bring your child! Letting your child see where he/she will be relocating to may alleviate some anxiety. If you bring your child for an orientation trip, be sure to put attractions and locations on the agenda that will appeal to him/her. There are many international schools located across the globe. You may want to consider sending your child to a school where he/she will not be the only child that has gone through an international relocation. A school of this nature has its pros and cons. While your child may feel more “at home” because he/she is not the only one that is not indigenous to that particular country, it may make the transition a bit harder as he/she will not be quite as immersed in the culture. When considering what school to send your child to, consider how long you plan to stay in this new country. If intending to stay long-term, consider helping your child immerse his or herself in the new culture by attending a local school. If you only intend to stay for a short period of time, or if your child is reaching college age and intends to go back for college, consider a school where he or she will feel most comfortable for a brief period of time.

They want cheap, cheap, cheap rates! And, as an international rate provider this is well understood. If you’re going to spend several hundred or several thousand dollars to move from the United States to England or Italy, Australia, Singapore or any other place in the world, why not try to save as much as possible!

A knowledgeable Household Goods Forwarder, such as Rocky Mountain Overseas, Inc. can and will help you with your efforst to save you or your employer with the financial burden of a worldwide move. Don’t forget that you don’t want to sacrifice forwarder viability to save a buck! More on this subject in future blogs.

Potential international shippers always want to know if doing their own packing can save them money? The answer is yes…but not enough to make the total rate that much lower.

The answer to this question is two-fold.

1. Have your home as neat and clean and organized on the day of the move as possible. The less time that the packing crew has to spend house cleaning and organizing the more time they have to pack and loan your international shipment. TIME IS MONEY! There have been many worldwide moves where I have been able to cut down on the manpower because the shippers were so well organized. Guess what? That saves them money! Less manpower = lower rate. The time you spend organizing, having a garage sale and de-cluttering will save you dollars. AND it will make your Realtor very happy as well.

Leave the packing to the professionals. Every international moving box needs to be inventoried and labeled correctly … so leave that task for us!

2. Pre-pay for only what is necessary. In other words…ask Rocky Mountain Overseas, Inc. to ship your goods to the foreign port only and then designate your own delivery agent. This will have an initial cost savings of about 1/4 to 1/3 of the cost of the move! Negotiating face to face is always a better alternative then by email or telephone. You may be able to obtain a better rate from a friend or relative in the country that you are moving to so why not try? Or, ask us who we recommend in the country that you are moving to and see if you can pay the delivery charges overseas? Why not try to defer that cost to a later date. After all, the shipment will be on the ocean for up to four weeks.

These are two of the best methods for saving on an international move!! Call one of our international moving specialists today for a free, low-cost, no obligation quotation!

MOVING TO YOUR WORLD-WIDE DESTINATION WILL BE CHEAPER!