At some point in their lives, children will have to learn to live on their own and rely on themselves to get things done. It’s important to prepare them for this moment and to inculcate them with the values, skills, and strategies that they need in order to thrive in an environment that may be far from their family and the place that they call home. This is especially true if  sending your children to a boarding school or an international school in Singapore is an option that your family is actively exploring. 

 

Knowing how to do chores is a basic expectation of the children raised in Singapore. If your children will be staying in a Singapore international boarding school, then they must at least know how to complete household chores that are appropriate for their age. Other than knowing how to keep one’s person and surroundings clean, it’s also a must to take the following steps to prepare your children for their new, if temporary, living environment: 

 

Set Their Expectations and Address Their Worries.

 

Singapore is a cosmopolitan country and a cultural melting pot, which makes it a generally welcoming place for people from all walks of life. Despite this, it can still be scary for any pre-teen or teenager to share living spaces with unfamiliar people

 

Setting your child’s expectations of what life is like in an international school’s boarding facility will likely help them form a more positive perspective of the prospect of living with students from other countries. Perhaps you can bring up the co-curricular activities that they can easily access because they’re living close to the campus, or talk about the possibility of forming life-long friendships with peers from all over the world. 

 

If your child is anxious about something, such as adjusting to their new surroundings, you can help them come up with strategies to face these issues. You can also explore their new living quarters and campus together to help assuage their fears. 

 

Keep Your Communication Lines Open

 

One of the many things that you and your child will miss once they leave home is the ease of communicating with each other. While it may be difficult to talk in real-time when your child is living away from home, it’s still possible to do so with the help of digital devices. 

 

Long before the big day arrives, determine the different ways you can bond and communicate. If you haven’t already done so, set up a chat room for the entire family where you can send and receive reminders and memes, or hold casual conversations with each other. You can also make a habit of doing daily or weekly calls, then keep a promise to continue this practice even after your child has left home to go to boarding school or to an international school overseas. Make sure your child knows that they can reach you at any time if they need anything, no matter if they require cooking tips or if they just want to share the latest news about school or their activities with their new friends. 

 

Prepare for the Possibility of Homesickness

 

People of any age can feel homesick when staying in a new location, but it can be especially hard for children who will be away from home and their family for the first time. Before this happens, it’s best to equip your child with the tools they need to acknowledge their feelings and deal with homesickness. Perhaps you can have them bring with them items that gave them comfort when they were still living at home , such as a favorite blanket, book, or stuffed animal from their earlier childhood. It would also help to reassure your child that they can reach out through any one of the available digital channels of communication whenever they feel down and are missing your presence. 

 

Make New Memories Together

 

Moving to a different city or country marks a new milestone in your child’s life, and it’s an event that will give them the opportunity to exercise their independence and to learn how to navigate the world on their own. Before this happens, how about maximizing your time together and doing a lot of bonding activities that you can look back to? Perhaps you can go on a family holiday, spend a day in your favorite amusement park, or learn to cook dishes together that your child can prepare by themselves or with their designated guardian in their new home. You can also start planning for future holidays that your child can look forward to as they go through the challenging period of adjustment in their new international school or boarding school. 

 

Preparing your child for living in a boarding facility in Singapore is a time of self-discovery. It can be challenging to see your child become more independent, but it’s a necessary step in ensuring that your child will be able to stand on their feet once they’re mature enough to make their own decisions. Ready yourself and your child for this great leap forward by following these tips in the weeks and months leading to the big move.