O/T: How do the kids cope with immigration?
Jun 1st 2004, 8:45 am
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,816
O/T: How do the kids cope with immigration?
Hi, all.
I don't have any kids myself, (no plans, either, as neither of us has the enormous patience needed!
) but after reading a post by Dbark earlier, it made me curious as to how little ones cope with the whole process. How well do they settle in a new school, what things do they miss the most, etc?
A few of my old UK colleagues commented on how brave I must be to leave behind everything I've ever known to come and live in a whole other country, but for kids it must be ten times more scary. How are yours coping?
Kate. xxxx
I don't have any kids myself, (no plans, either, as neither of us has the enormous patience needed!
) but after reading a post by Dbark earlier, it made me curious as to how little ones cope with the whole process. How well do they settle in a new school, what things do they miss the most, etc? A few of my old UK colleagues commented on how brave I must be to leave behind everything I've ever known to come and live in a whole other country, but for kids it must be ten times more scary. How are yours coping?
Kate. xxxx
Jun 1st 2004, 9:07 am
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: PA (me)/ UK (him)
Posts: 144
Re: O/T: How do the kids cope with immigration?
Originally posted by katesuiter1
Hi, all.
I don't have any kids myself, (no plans, either, as neither of us has the enormous patience needed!) but after reading a post by Dbark earlier, it made me curious as to how little ones cope with the whole process. How well do they settle in a new school, what things do they miss the most, etc?
A few of my old UK colleagues commented on how brave I must be to leave behind everything I've ever known to come and live in a whole other country, but for kids it must be ten times more scary. How are yours coping?
Kate. xxxx
Hi, all.
I don't have any kids myself, (no plans, either, as neither of us has the enormous patience needed!
) but after reading a post by Dbark earlier, it made me curious as to how little ones cope with the whole process. How well do they settle in a new school, what things do they miss the most, etc? A few of my old UK colleagues commented on how brave I must be to leave behind everything I've ever known to come and live in a whole other country, but for kids it must be ten times more scary. How are yours coping?
Kate. xxxx
Kate,
Right now, my stb stepson is anxious to come over, but who knows how he will feel when he gets here. When I talk to him now, he's excited and scared at the same time. He actually said that its a "good kind of scared". He loves the idea of being able to "start over" in the US. Being 14 and moody as any woman I've EVER known, this could change in a heartbeat.
Christina
Jun 1st 2004, 9:08 am
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Bandera, Texas - Medellin, Colombia
Posts: 550
Re: O/T: How do the kids cope with immigration?
I thought that they would have a lot of adjusting to do but after two months here, they do not seem to miss anything about Colombia. In fact they seem very blase about everything. They all did very well in school and I thought that might be an issue as well. Maybe the fact that we are in South Texas with large numbers of Spanish speakers as well as Spanish television and radio made it easier for them. They do miss some of their friends and relatives but that's about it.
Originally posted by katesuiter1
Hi, all.
I don't have any kids myself, (no plans, either, as neither of us has the enormous patience needed!) but after reading a post by Dbark earlier, it made me curious as to how little ones cope with the whole process. How well do they settle in a new school, what things do they miss the most, etc?
A few of my old UK colleagues commented on how brave I must be to leave behind everything I've ever known to come and live in a whole other country, but for kids it must be ten times more scary. How are yours coping?
Kate. xxxx
Hi, all.
I don't have any kids myself, (no plans, either, as neither of us has the enormous patience needed!
) but after reading a post by Dbark earlier, it made me curious as to how little ones cope with the whole process. How well do they settle in a new school, what things do they miss the most, etc? A few of my old UK colleagues commented on how brave I must be to leave behind everything I've ever known to come and live in a whole other country, but for kids it must be ten times more scary. How are yours coping?
Kate. xxxx
Jun 1st 2004, 11:22 am
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Pensacola. FL
Posts: 72
Re: O/T: How do the kids cope with immigration?
Originally posted by katesuiter1
Hi, all.
I don't have any kids myself, (no plans, either, as neither of us has the enormous patience needed!) but after reading a post by Dbark earlier, it made me curious as to how little ones cope with the whole process. How well do they settle in a new school, what things do they miss the most, etc?
A few of my old UK colleagues commented on how brave I must be to leave behind everything I've ever known to come and live in a whole other country, but for kids it must be ten times more scary. How are yours coping?
Kate. xxxx
Hi, all.
I don't have any kids myself, (no plans, either, as neither of us has the enormous patience needed!
) but after reading a post by Dbark earlier, it made me curious as to how little ones cope with the whole process. How well do they settle in a new school, what things do they miss the most, etc? A few of my old UK colleagues commented on how brave I must be to leave behind everything I've ever known to come and live in a whole other country, but for kids it must be ten times more scary. How are yours coping?
Kate. xxxx
hey kate!
i was 10 when my family migrated to florida from the US and having gone through the schooling system and being here for a while (and subsequently getting married myself!) i can say that when i was younger it didnt faze me at all...in fact i had NO idea about the problems with INS until i had to file myself when hubby and i got married! i would think that it would be harder for adults to move as they actually know and remember what they're missing - i now count the US as my home (as i've been here over half of my life) so the transition was not a bad one!
abbie
Jun 1st 2004, 12:46 pm
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: O/T: How do the kids cope with immigration?
culverabbie wrote:
> hey kate!
> i was 10
> when my family migrated to florida from the US and having gone through
> the schooling system and being here for a while (and subsequently
> getting married myself!)
Yep, I know what you mean. When I was 11 we immigrated to Central
Illinois from Philadelphia, PA Talk about culture shock. I can
understand how immigrating from the US to Florida could affect you.
Look at the potential for language problems....
BTW, when I first went to Miami to visit, I went to a restaurant and
ordered coffee. They asked if I wanted Cuban Coffee... Being new to
world travel at age 17, I said yes, thinking it just meant the coffee
was grown in Cuba... I even wondered why they brought it in a very
small cup.... I don't wonder now.
> hey kate!
> i was 10
> when my family migrated to florida from the US and having gone through
> the schooling system and being here for a while (and subsequently
> getting married myself!)
Yep, I know what you mean. When I was 11 we immigrated to Central
Illinois from Philadelphia, PA Talk about culture shock. I can
understand how immigrating from the US to Florida could affect you.
Look at the potential for language problems....
BTW, when I first went to Miami to visit, I went to a restaurant and
ordered coffee. They asked if I wanted Cuban Coffee... Being new to
world travel at age 17, I said yes, thinking it just meant the coffee
was grown in Cuba... I even wondered why they brought it in a very
small cup.... I don't wonder now.
Jun 1st 2004, 4:00 pm
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: O/T: How do the kids cope with immigration?
My son and I came over on a K1/K2 in June of 2002. He was almost 11
1/2 at the time. He did not want to come here. Before we had our
interview at the Montreal consulate, he told me that he was going to
tell the Consulate officers that he did not want to come here. Family
members were telling him back then of how much better off he would be.
He was well aware that no one could look after him.
When we arrived here in the U.S. and got into my then fiance's car, my
son cried. When we arrived at the house, he cried. He went through
the whole summer without friends and kept telling me he wanted to go
back to Canada. When school started up he was afraid in case the kids
would make fun of him because he was Canadian. It never happened. It
wasn't long before he started making friends from school. Fast
forward to a year after our arrival and he kept insisting that he was
going back to Canada to live. He would make comments of how I forced
him to come to a place that he didn't want to come to. I asked him if
it was because he missed his sisters back in Canada and that was why
he wanted to go back. He said nope, he missed his friends. Here is a
boy who has more friends here than he ever did in Canada.
Here we are almost 2 years later and he's settled down quite a lot.
He does mention however about going back to Canada to "visit." At
least it's no more of "I'm going back to Canada to live."
1/2 at the time. He did not want to come here. Before we had our
interview at the Montreal consulate, he told me that he was going to
tell the Consulate officers that he did not want to come here. Family
members were telling him back then of how much better off he would be.
He was well aware that no one could look after him.
When we arrived here in the U.S. and got into my then fiance's car, my
son cried. When we arrived at the house, he cried. He went through
the whole summer without friends and kept telling me he wanted to go
back to Canada. When school started up he was afraid in case the kids
would make fun of him because he was Canadian. It never happened. It
wasn't long before he started making friends from school. Fast
forward to a year after our arrival and he kept insisting that he was
going back to Canada to live. He would make comments of how I forced
him to come to a place that he didn't want to come to. I asked him if
it was because he missed his sisters back in Canada and that was why
he wanted to go back. He said nope, he missed his friends. Here is a
boy who has more friends here than he ever did in Canada.
Here we are almost 2 years later and he's settled down quite a lot.
He does mention however about going back to Canada to "visit." At
least it's no more of "I'm going back to Canada to live."
Jun 1st 2004, 11:44 pm
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Pensacola. FL
Posts: 72
Re: O/T: How do the kids cope with immigration?
Originally posted by culverabbie
hey kate!
i was 10 when my family migrated to florida from the US and having gone through the schooling system and being here for a while (and subsequently getting married myself!) i can say that when i was younger it didnt faze me at all...in fact i had NO idea about the problems with INS until i had to file myself when hubby and i got married! i would think that it would be harder for adults to move as they actually know and remember what they're missing - i now count the US as my home (as i've been here over half of my life) so the transition was not a bad one!
abbie
hey kate!
i was 10 when my family migrated to florida from the US and having gone through the schooling system and being here for a while (and subsequently getting married myself!) i can say that when i was younger it didnt faze me at all...in fact i had NO idea about the problems with INS until i had to file myself when hubby and i got married! i would think that it would be harder for adults to move as they actually know and remember what they're missing - i now count the US as my home (as i've been here over half of my life) so the transition was not a bad one!
abbie
what a silly billy! i meant UK not US...we came from England! ha!
abbie
