Those who have done it before, what did you learn?
Hello! My family (husband, me, and 2 kids ages 9 and 2) will be moving to Tokyo this summer. How early should I tell my 9 year old? I don’t want to have him build it up in his mind a lot and end up getting more anxious than necessary so I was thinking about 5-6 weeks before we go.
It’s going to be hard because for the first 6 weeks, I’ll be on my own there and the kids cannot join me. After that, my husband will bring the kids but he will need to go back and forth between the US and home so they will be without him for long stretches at a time. He tends to get nervous about making friends, new experiences, etc – so how should I approach this so that he’s excited and not angry And scared?
Thank you!
Edited for clarity – the 5-6 weeks timeline would be 5-6 weeks before I leave – then he would be home with his dad and sister for another 6-7 weeks before they join us for a total of about 12 weeks prior to himself moving.
Edited to add: my 9 year old will be going to an international school with English speaking teachers. He will not be thrown into a Japanese public school as obviously that would be too much culture shock for him at this age.
by onewildpreciouslife5