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- Be positive about
your new environment; children pick up parent's attitudes.
- Maintain your family
schedule - Try to maintain a normal family environment as much as possible;
stress comes with change but maintaining a familiar structure will give
your children extra security needed in their new surroundings.
- Take your child
with you when meeting new neighbors. This is a great way for them to
meet new friends
- Check out child
and day care organizations thoroughly. Check references and talk to
parent who have children enrolled.
- Take your child
to visit the school, meet the principal, secretaries, counselor, and
teacher; providing a familiar person for the child to seek out in case
of a problem will ease their introduction to the new community.
- Make sure all
school records were transferred correctly; any errors could cause serious
problems in the future and should be taken care of immediately.
- Seek academic
tutoring for child if he or she has dramatically different levels of
subjects in the new school.
- Ask your child
questions about school, they may tell you about problems that may have
risen.
- Attend school
functions, get acquainted with staff and other parents.
- Encourage your
child to invite friends over to your new home, you will get a better
idea of your child's new friends.
- Sign them up for
one or two activities, for sports, or lessons where social interaction
can present itself. Make your children feel a part of the community.
- Try to meet the
parents of your child's friends. You will find out if you would like
your children to visit their homes.
- Plan mini-adventures
around the city. The more they know about it the better more they will
feel at home.
- If possible, allow
your child to buy some things common to the area: a skateboard, a bike,
clothing may not have been "necessities" in your previous home.
- Allow your child
some "quiet time" with no commitments. Children need to internalize
the new change.
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