moving to HK, son is nervous

I am moving from the US to HK in 3 weeks and my 15 month-old son is having a hard time with the changes. All of our things have been shipped and there are lots of strangers coming to the house. He is fussy and clingy. I am a stay-at-home mom and am trying to comfort him and keep things as normal as possible. Of course he knows things are different, unfortunately he's too young to understand exactly what's happening. Any advice?

Ok, I'm sure there are lots of other younger mummies who can answer your concerns better than I can, but as no one else has replied yet , I thought I'd give you my advice ... even though it's been a long time since my kiddies were little! ... Moving home is very stressful, for parents let alone children. Even though your son is only 15 months old, he will sense your feelings. Just try to reassure him ... put on a happy face and show some excitement. All your stuff has been shipped and he's probably wondering what the hell is going on ... everything that he's familiar with has sudddenly disappeared ... Talk to him and tell him that all his toys/teddies/whatever, are going to a lovely new home and you'll soon be there to meet them. Even though he may not understand exactly what you are saying, he'll know by the tone of your voice and the look on your face that it's a good thing. Don't worry, kids all go through fussy, clingy stages, it may not even be to do with change in his life right now. Just show him plenty of love and give him lots of hugs ... he'll be fine.

My son is 14 months, almost 15 months.

We are not moving, but we are about to have baby#2, which is a whole new set of changes.


We pat my belly and say baby, but I think he thinks we are insane as he points at pictures of babies and says 'baby'... you can show him photos of HK and say Hong Kong, and show him photos of your new flat/building/house and say 'new home' or something similar.


Although this does not respond to your post, there is one thing I keep telling myself that is an advantage... we might have a few hard weeks or months of adjustment, but after 2-3 months he won't even remember life before... and your little one won't say to you 'I miss my friends/school/room' etc...


So although you have a hard time now, and you can't explain much to him, he will adjust so quickly once he gets over the jetlag and gets on a nice routine in HK, rediscovers his furniture and toys, and explores his new room/flat/playground etc...


While the move will be tough on all of you, once it is over I bet he adjusts the fastest :)


And bravo to you for finding this forum BEFORE you move... check out the playgroup one for a playgroup in your new neighbourhood too!


Good luck and welcome to HK!!!

Here's another "mommy" opinion. A child's world is generally very small, consisting of mommy and daddy, pets, siblings, and a few items he uses every day and finds familiar (my spoon, my cup, my teddy, my special toys, etc). And he doesn't really have a long view of time, so it doesn't do much good to say, "your things will be here in six weeks." I suggest, carry on the plane one bag that has your child's most favorite toys, bedtime books, comfort items, familiar dishes and cups, etc. The things when you get off the plane, you can hit the ground running to give some semblance of normalcy so that your child can feel, "yes, everything has changed, but my little world still has everything in it that it most important to me." Also, pack your child's favorite foods and even include some of those in your shipment. For instance, my little one loved the Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets. You will be able to get those in Hong Kong (at Olivers in Central) but it might take you awhile to figure out where and how to get there, it might be a few weeks before you get around to it. If you have a few special, familiar food items in your bag, it will help keep things on an even keel. I guess your babe is too young to be in preschool, but for our older children we found it nice to have a small photo album with photos of things and people we left behind on our old, familiar life. Then our child didn't feel as if we had just dumped everything, but life became a continuum between past, present, and future. The photo album (along with frequent communication) became a link to the past and to maintaining that link for when we return to USA.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Most things I am already doing but it is nice to know, from those who have been there, that I'm on the right track. In the last couple of days (after the house and furniture sold and the container shipped) things have gotten more normal and he's back to his regular self. I'm sure there will be plenty more stress coming but now I feel better about how he handles things. Thanks!

Yah, and allow some time to roll with the punches, like for instance, maybe schedule in one day about half as much as you think you'll actually have time to get done. That way, when little one needs some cuddle time and / or time just to have quiet and rest, you'll be flexible enough to do it. On the other hand, little ones are also quite portable and can get used to napping in the baby carrier etc. Good luck!