Helping Children Adapt to a New School

NetExpat Community • August 18, 2025

This blog post offers a glimpse into the exclusive content available to members of the NetExpat Community—designed specifically for the partners and spouses of transferees. From curated resources to peer-driven insights, this sample reflects the kind of meaningful support that helps partners/spouses feel seen, connected, and empowered. 

Children benefit from intercultural relocations in so many ways, from learning adaptability skills to developing a global mindset. But that doesn’t diminish the fact that transitioning into their new lifestyle can be a bit frightening or downright overwhelming. Continuing their education, making friends, holding onto their identity, and adjusting to new societal and cultural norms can feel like monumental tasks to a child of any age; since the foundation for each of these things starts at school, helping them adapt at the school level is one of a parent's biggest responsibilities during the settling-in phase of an international relocation. Collaborative support from parents, teachers, and other adults makes all the difference to their ability to integrate into their new lives in a new host country. 

 

How can parents help their children along in this process? A few suggestions are listed below: 

Before Your Move 

 

Believe it or not, one of the best ways to help your child integrate into their new school is to be proactive before you even pack for your move.   

Try to control the timing of the transition

Start at the beginning: If at all possible, try to enroll your child at the beginning of a school year or semester. Starting the school year at the same time as their classmates can make your child's transition run more smoothly.  

 

Avoid starting right before major holidays: If you can’t enroll your child at the beginning of a school year, do try to avoid having them start right before a major holiday or school break. It can be more difficult for a child to build connections if the classmates they’ve just met won't be accessible to them for a lengthy vacation period.  

Do some research and prep work

Develop some school savvy:  Familiarize yourself and your child with the new school's rules, curriculum, and routines. To make it fun, you might even consider making flashcards or making a game out of the process. Getting a head start on school policies helps children know what to expect and reduces anxiety. It also gives you a chance to show your child that you care about their comfort and that you’re excited about the activities that might be available to them in their new environment.  

 

Try some role-playing: Whether it’s introducing themselves or asking for help, role-playing common school scenarios with your child can help them feel more confident and prepared for real-life scenarios, interactions, and challenges they may come across. If role-playing feels awkward to an older child, you can also simply try brainstorming ways they might handle particular scenarios.   


Do some research and prep work

Visit the School: If your or your partner’s assignment package includes a house-hunting or pre-assignment, be sure to take a tour of your child's school during the trip. In addition to giving them a physical sense of what the environment will look and feel like, it will remove some of the fear associated with the unknown.  

 

Provide your child with closure: After spending so much time in a place, all human beings need to feel as though their time, relationships and experience mattered — and that they'll be remembered. With this in mind, honor your child’s experience and friendships by helping them to say goodbye to their old school, teachers and friends. This can include holding farewell parties, creating a memory scrapbook the child can take with them, or asking their teacher to have classmates write messages that can be kept in a special holder. 

In Your New Host Country:  

Differences in Cultural Communication Styles

Make an Effort to Understand and Adapt to New Teaching Styles 

 

To help support your children’s learning at school and at home, it will be important to understand any differences in both the school curriculum or teaching methods in your child’s new school. To do this, keep an open line of communication with your child’s teachers to understand their expectations and teaching styles, but also tell them that you don’t know what you don’t know about any cultural or regional nuances that may be different than what you’re used to. If the teacher has had students that originally came from your origin country, they may have specific insights to share. If they haven’t, your honest communication can set the stage for mutual collaboration as unexpected needs come up. 


Embrace Cultural Differences 

 

The more you show an interest in the cultural differences of your new home, the more willing your child will be to do the same. As tempting as it may be to vent your frustration when cultural differences have caused an inconvenience, instead, try to point out how interesting it is that things are done differently in your new home and model productive ways of adapting to those differences. Spend some time online learning about the cultural norms and values of your host country and enlist the help of your child’s teacher if they’re willing and able to help. This can help your child understand their new environment but also integrate with more patience and curiosity. 

Encourage Independence and Resilience 

 

Supporting your child and validating their feelings is crucial to their ability to integrate into their new environment; so is teaching them problem-solving skills that will help them to navigate new situations independently. By providing children with both, they’ll feel secure in knowing that you’ll be there to help when they need guidance, but confident enough in themselves to know that they have the tools to succeed. Be sure to encourage resilience by complimenting their attempts to problem solve, to try new things, make efforts to make new friends, and participate in school events. Celebrate their successes (academic, social, and intercultural) and help them learn from any setbacks, brainstorming new perspectives and approaches to try as they evolve.   

 


Helping Your Child Thrive


Of course, every child is unique, so always observe any specific behaviors your child might be exhibiting and try things that would have the most positive impact on their well-being and ability to feel more comfortable and confident in their new school environment. Getting used to a new schooling system in a different culture can be a complex process for children, but with proactive support from parents and collaboration with teachers, children can thrive in their new environment and learn skills and perspectives that will benefit them throughout their lives.

For more information about the NetExpat Community and how offering access to this community can elevate the relocation experience and reinforce your commitment to holistic, family-inclusive support., contact us at info@netexpat.com

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