How do we tell our kids?

nickm · 12-05-2008, 11:36 PM

We've just got all the paperwork sorted and we're off in August. We need to now tell our familiy and friends but more importantly need to tell our two children aged 8&6 - any tips on how best to tell them please?

ali · 13-05-2008, 12:07 AM

We told our children when we were thinking about it, particularly with our oldest let her know when we were doing things. Was there any reason you left it so late with yours? I'd tell them as soon as possible as it's also coming to the end of the school year and for they're going to need to get there heads around not going back there. My sons school (he was 7) did a file for us to present at his new school with that terms curriculum, covering letter reagarding his ability, reports and also examples of his work.

Books, internet etc., are helpful in showing your children what Aus is like

Ali

nickm · 13-05-2008, 12:37 AM

We wanted to be sure that the paperwork/visas etc were sorted before telling anyone least of all our children who ask "are we there yet" when we're taking them to school! Appreciate the advice Ali - we'll put it into practice now - thanks.

Nick

kiwi · 13-05-2008, 02:19 AM

We showed our kids some of the places and photos on Google Earth and also council sites of places we might be going. How about giving them address books to get all their friends details so they can write, send photos and cards. Talk about doing that when you get there. My kids also love looking at wildlife parks, dolphin feeding and kangaroos etc.

mandy1 · 13-05-2008, 03:19 AM

Hi
As ali has said its good for the kids to be as involved as possible. Show them books, websites etc.. and discuss it as much as possible.
Mandy x

linziloo · 13-05-2008, 04:48 AM

Hi Nick, We decided the beginning of 2005 that we wanted to move out here,( my son was 3 at this point) it was a long drawn out process. We came on holiday first to visit friends and Ethan loved it. We just talked about living in oz and what we could do when we came back. We visited the zoo, water parks etc and kept saying to Ethan, would you like to go back and live in oz, go back to the zoo etc, just made it exciting for him. He kind of understood and obviously by the time it got closer to us moving, he understood what was going on, hes 5 1/2 now and loves it here.
Sorry to ramble on a bit!! hope you get round to telling them soon
Linz

The McT's · 13-05-2008, 04:55 AM

I'm in with Ali, we came out in Jan with 3 kids under 9.

They knew all about it from each stage from 2yrs ago when we were here on a holiday reccie to Oz to Aug last year when completing the application became a reality, and we were honest about it being difficult to leave friends & family.

It helped our older boys to understand that life out here would be the 'same but different' ie still home/school/family but in another place. We helped them focus on the +ves and said there would be tough times as well. We were lucky that our move coincided with the usual Xmas/newyear hype, so when we flew out it felt to them like an extension of the Xmas holidays.

They missed their friends & their stuff. The stuff came in the container, and the friends are contacted through email & letters. They have settled well into their new yr 4 & 2 classes. The baby knows no different, and goes to playgroup. Same but different for us.

Good luck with it all, the advice about diaries & keeping a record of their UK life is great, looking back, I wish we'd done more of that!

jonbj5 · 13-05-2008, 07:30 AM

Agree with everyone here! We have 2 kids (9&6). Have involved them from day 1. Watched tv programmes, things on the internet, showed them books, its important to make them feel part of it, its changing their lives too!! They are concerned about leaving family, like everyone is, but they are so excited at the same time. They talk about it alot and say things like 'when we are in Australia' etc. Their lives will be so much better over there.

Good luck with everything!!

Kirsty, Ian, Emily & Matthew

Ms_Fi · 13-05-2008, 07:46 AM

When we were out visiting family at Christmas we waited until the last day and asked the children how they'd feel about living in Aus. Luckily they were all very receptive to the idea.

The main problem we have is friends of the youngest crying when she tells them she's moving to Australia at the end of year 4. One in particular is being horrible to her at the moment as she doesn't want to be her friend anymore if she's leaving. I wouldn't mind too much but there's another 2 years before we go!!

We're giving the children the chance to get fully involved in choosing their schools (obviously it'll be a guided choice) and the new house (again, within reason) and we've promised them we'll get email addresses sorted out for them which they can pass onto their friends before we actually go. That and a huge party in the local village hall for all their friends before we go - that'll be fun!!

They're all very excited and can't wait to go but having a set time scale (ie at the end of year 9, year 7 and year 4) is making it a lot easier for them to wait.

pabloke99 · 13-05-2008, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickm

We've just got all the paperwork sorted and we're off in August. We need to now tell our familiy and friends but more importantly need to tell our two children aged 8&6 - any tips on how best to tell them please?

I'd be relishing the prospect of telling them if I was you, they are going to be so excited, unlike my 15 yr old daughter. But I can understand why you have held back from telling them thus far, it is such a roller-coaster - we have had to change plans on numerous occassions, which always causes upset.

Good luck