Moving to Costa Rica with Kids: 6 Major Concerns, Answered

1. Moving to Costa Rica with Kids: 6 Major Concerns, Answered

2. Concern #1: They Won’t Adjust Well Culture shock is definitely a real thing, and it’s definitely something your entire family will face. That said, culture shock typically doesn’t hit kids as hard as it hits their parents. Why not? Because, on average, kids adapt to change easier and faster than do adults. It’s just a fact. Of course, that doesn’t mean the move will be completely seamless. Of course, there will be challenges! Of course, there will be adjustments. In professional terms, it’s called “transition,” and there are many ways to help your kids (and yourself) through it. Also, simply being aware that culture shock is real, and that it will happen to you – and it will, no matter how well prepared you are – can help mitigate the effects and duration of each stage. http://www.costaricainsiders.com/moving-to-costa-rica-with-kids-6-major-concerns-answered/

3. We’ll be honest: If your kids have trouble making friends “back home,” then they’ll probably struggle here, too. But there’s a silver lining: Expat kids often stick together, for exactly this reason – they know what it’s like to be the new kid on the block, to not speak the language fluently, and to feel adrift in a new place. They know what it’s like to need friends. And so, the process of making English-speaking friends can actually be easier in Costa Rica than at home. So, what about Costa Rican friends? Typically, elementary-aged kids are very welcoming. (Pre-teens and teens are pre-teens and teens, no matter where they live. Give it time, and your kids should do fine.) Take your kids to the local playground, and they’ll probably have new best friends by the end of the day. Even if they don’t speak Spanish. Kids are great like that. http://www.costaricainsiders.com/moving-to-costa-rica-with-kids-6-major-concerns-answered/

4. Instead of playing parent-taxi and driving your kids to a bajillion over-scheduled lessons and activities a week, here your kids can grab their surfboards and head to the ocean. They can volunteer at wildlife rescue centers. They can hike with their friends through dry forest, to waterfalls (and their swimming holes, and into rainforests. They can snorkel, learn to scuba dive, go stand-up paddle boarding, and so much more. Bottom line: You’d have to be really committed to boredom, to be bored in Costa Rica. We hope you feel a bit better. Plenty of families make the move to Costa Rica, and make it successfully. Their kids are happy. The parents are happy. Everyone’s thriving. So, think about it. The leap might be good for you, too. http://www.costaricainsiders.com/moving-to-costa-rica-with-kids-6-major-concerns-answered/