The International Schools Review Forum

I know the first week of orientation, searching for housing, getting to know your way around in a new country and also making new friends can be overwhelming...it was not so bad when I was single, a little more troublesome when married (the boys are going golfing or drinking again see ya when I come back)...but I an extremely worried about it being married and with two young children under the age of seven.

Will I have to find my own arrangements for my kids in a foreign place while my wife and I get 'oriented' from 7 am until 11 pm for a week straight? (I know that time span is a bit of an exaggeration but it can feel pretty draining...)

Any strategies to help married teaching couples with children deal with this?

Very nervous about the first few weeks abroad?? And the impressions I might make trying to involve my young children in our adjustment...

Thanks for any help.

It can be overwhelming and hopefully your school has made some allowances for you. Our kids took Lao lessons when we were taking Lao lessons and played a lot on the playground when we were at VIS. Later, when they were older we grouped them together with other couples' kids and we took turns being on entertainment crew. I think the hardest part of the process is setting aside your worries, concerns etc and focusing on your kids (something I wish I had been better at). Make sure to take time to do some sightseeing and exploring. If the food is different go out and give it a try. Make sure they meet their teacher and get to know the school grounds, especially the location of the bathrooms-friends and bathrooms the 2 primary concerns of school aged kids.

One hard lesson we learned was not to try to do too much too fast. We took our 5 year old through Vientiane's morning market on our first day and it was a disaster!

Good luck, I am sure you will not regret the family experience abroad!