6 tips for helping relocated families prepare for the school year

6 TIPS FOR HELPINGRELOCATED

FAMILIES PREPAREFOR THE SCHOOL

YEARWHR GROUP EMPLOYEE RELOCATION

FOR EMPLOYERSAND TRANSFERRING

FAMILIES...

MAKING SURE THEKIDS FEEL

COMFORTABLEIN THEIR NEW

SCHOOL IS CRITICALTO ENSURING THE

SUPPORT ANDBACKING OF THE

EMPLOYEE’S FAMILY

REMEMBER:A MOVE ISN’T OVER

WHEN ALL THEBOXES AREUNPACKED

SO, HERE ARE 6 TIPSTO HELP RECENTLY

RELOCATEDFAMILIES WITH KIDS

OF ALL AGES GETOFF ON THE RIGHT

FOOT FOR THEUPCOMING SCHOOL

YEAR

1.

GET ORGANIZED

ANY PARENTKNOWS A SMOOTHSTART AT SCHOOL

BEGINS WITHORGANIZATION...

KNOWING PICK UP TIMES,

KNOWING DROP OFF TIMES, AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITYTIMES...

THIS YEAR,HAVE THE EMPLOYEETAKE THINGS A STEP

FURTHER BY CREATINGA FAMILY SCHEDULING

CENTER

LIST EVERYONE’S SCHEDULEFOR THE WEEK (OR EVEN THEMONTH),

LIST IMPORTANT CONTACTINFORMATION, AND

TRY COLOR-CODING FOR EACHFAMILY MEMBER

WHILE THEEMPLOYEE

WILL BESTARTING A

NEWSCHEDULEAT WORK,

THE SPOUSEAND

CHILDRENWILL HAVETHEIR OWN

NEWROUTINES TOGET USED TO

AS WELL.

STICK TO THESCHEDULE

& KEEP IT VISIBLEFOR EVERYONE

2.

STOCK UP

THE WEEKEND BEFORE THEFIRST SCHOOL DAY,

DO SOME MEAL PREPPINGAND STOCK THE

REFRIGERATOR WITHSCHOOL-FRIENDLY FOODS

NOTHINGWILL HELP FAMILY

MEMBERS FEELMORE AT HOME

THAN THEIRFAVORITE MEALS

BETTER YET...

HAVE THE KIDSJOIN IN ONGROCERY

SHOPPING ANDSTOCKING OFTHE FRIDGE.IT WILL GIVE

THEM A SENSEOF CONTROL IN

THEIR NEWSURROUNDINGS.

3.

MAP IT OUT

HOW WILL THE KIDSGET TO AND FROM

SCHOOL?

SUGGEST THEEMPLOYEE

PLAN ANY PICK UPOR DROP OFF

ROUTES AHEAD OFTIME...

(WHILE IT MAY BEAS SIMPLE AS A BUSROUTE OR MOBILE

NAVIGATIONSYSTEM IN THE

CAR)...

IT’S ALWAYS A GOODIDEA FOR PARENTS AND

THE KIDS TO KNOWHOW TO GET FROM

POINT A TO B WITHOUTANY OUTSIDE HELP,

SHOULD ANYEMERGENCIES OCCUR

TAKE A DRIVEAND REALLY GET TO

KNOW THE NEWAREA

4.

GET INVOLVED

LOTS OF PARENTSENJOY GETTING

INVOLVED INSCHOOL

ACTIVITIES...

...BUT FOR NEWFAMILIES TO THEAREA, IT’S EVEN

MORE IMPORTANT

NEVERUNDERESTIMATETHE FEELING OFSUPPORT FROM

BUILDING A STABLECOMMUNITY OFNEIGHBORS &

FRIENDS

5.

THINK AHEAD

FOR AN EVENSTRONGER CHANCEOF SETTLING IN AT A

NEW SCHOOL,THINK BEYONDJUST GETTING

THROUGH THE FIRSTWEEKS...

HAVE THEEMPLOYEE ASK HIS

OR HER KIDS TO SETPERSONAL GOALS

TO ACCOMPLISH BYTHE END OF THE

TERM...

A SPORT IN WHICH TO PARTICIPATE,

GRADES THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE,OR ACTIVITIES THEY’D LIKE TO DOOUTSIDE OF SCHOOL WITH NEWFRIENDS...

SETTING GOALSPLACES A POSITIVE SPIN

ON A NEW SITUATION ANDWILL GIVE EVERYONESOMETHING TO LOOKFORWARD TO WHILE

SETTLING IN

6.

EXPECTROADBUMPS

MAKE SURE EMPLOYEESUNDERSTAND THAT—NO

MATTER HOWORGANIZED THEY FEELABOUT THEIR FAMILY

GETTING BACK INTO THESWING OF THINGS—

THERE WILL ALWAYS BETHE UNEXPECTED

THE BEST WAY TO DEALWITH THE UNEXPECTED

WHEN THE KIDS ARESTILL ADJUSTING IS TO

EXPERIENCE THEASSOCIATED FEELINGS...

ANGER

"HOME" SICKNESS, AND SO ON...

SO EVERYONE CANUNDERSTAND WHAT

IS CAUSING THE MOSTDISCOMFORT TOMAKE A PLAN TO

MOVE ON AND FEELAT HOME AGAIN

REMEMBER: GETTINGREADY FOR A NEW

SCHOOL YEARFOLLOWING A BIG MOVEDOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN

CHAOS

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