SO … you’ve decided to follow your dreams – or that great job offer – and move to Southern Cyprus. One of the first things that most parents ask themselves is how will the kids will adjust? The good news is that they generally adjust far quicker than most adults.

It seems that the younger the child, the easier it is for them to adapt. It is generally acknowledged that children up to the age of seven are able to absorb and process what goes on around them quickly and effortlessly, and the Greek language is usually something that they are able to learn readily and without much effort.

That is not to say that older children will not be able to cope, merely that it may require more effort on their part – and on yours as a parent.

The essential thing is that you are enthusiastic about the move and that you include them in the preparations. If they think that you as a family are undertaking a huge adventure together, this will go a long way to making the move seem like something to look forward to rather than to dread.

Discuss the move to Cyprus with them well in advance and talk about what they can expect to find on arrival.

Highlight the advantages of moving to Cyprus and point out that family and friends are merely a short flight away and stress that holiday visits will be encouraged. With Facebook and emails, it can be less painful, both for children and for you. Just make very sure that when you decide to rent or to buy a property you have access to the Internet.

A few points for younger children:

•  Encourage children to learn about Cyprus in advance. Perhaps get an atlas and have show them on a map. Why not take them to a restaurant that serves Greek food?

•  Perhaps a few lessons in Greek would be worth trying before you leave the UK. #

•  Provide children of all ages with a notebook that they can write down all their friend’s email addresses and contact details to take with them. You may find that the computer, with all these vital details, gets damaged in the move

•  Take photos of their new home and area if they have not yet seen it yet so that it looks familiar on arrival

•  You will already have sorted out their schooling in Cyprus, so this will be familiar to them already. A new school can often appoint a ‘mentor’ for each new child – someone in the class who has been at the school for a while and could show your child the ropes. You may suggest this…?

•  There is nothing as comforting as a pet for younger children. Failing that, a favourite toy at hand at all times. They are often fine as long as this toy is on the journey too.

•  Go out of your way to make the acquaintance of other mothers so that your children will have friends over on ‘play dates’. Once they have just one friend, their world is a far happier place  

•  Each change of school means some adjusting to the school syllabus. There will be aspects your child has not covered and others where they will find themselves ahead of the class. If necessary it is essential that you either assist the child to catch up or seek help to ensure that they do not lag behind for long

For older children the road is perhaps less easy. Apart from learning the Greek language, there are the social aspects.

Teenagers need validation and approval from their peers and have usually formed a group of friends they get this from. Leaving these friends and changing schools will be challenging. If they have excelled in the classroom, a new language will be daunting indeed and if they excel at sports they will feel that they need to start from the beginning to find their place in the sporting hierarchy.

It is essential that you take this into consideration. You will need to give them the support they need and listen to their concerns to make sure that they are coping with the changes.

Happy moving!