Will my children get used to Japan?

A move is always an intense experience, both because of its physical demands and because of its psychological ones, which even with a lot of preparation and anticipation can be more than we can handle. Now, if we add to this experience the uncertainty of what it will be like for our children, what it will mean for them to leave their previous home, friends, school, relatives, etc., we will soon find ourselves immersed in a number of doubts and fears that will make us question each decision we make. And honestly, this is the most normal. No one can predict what will happen tomorrow, not even in situations that we thought were controlled, situations that are part of our routine, now less in a situation in which we have the need to anticipate the unpredictable, while ensuring emotional and physical safety. of our children.

Especially with our children, we tend to think that the more stable the situation, the better for their development. Although there are definitely opportunities and experiences that we cannot or do not want to miss, because of our growth, that of our children, because of dreams and passions, or because of simple leaps that life takes.

When we think of Japan from the West, our imagination tends to fly very fast, and coupled with fantastic tales of a land of great contrasts, consumerism, social problems, a language that seems exponentially difficult to us, and much more. Some problems tend to be magnified from a distance, some characteristics that are flexible become confused with the norm, and our fear of being flexible or enduring enough to fit into our new home begins to become more apparent.

It is not possible to lie, there will be many changes, many details, which will cost us more effort to get used to. Some will be linked to the new culture that welcomes us, others to become part of a minority, and still others will simply be the product of our ignorance of the options available to us. How can we make new friends when we have a hard time keeping even the simplest conversation? How are the most daily tasks carried out that we have never paid more attention to since we have been doing them all our lives? How will we teach our children to fit into a society that we do not know?

The reality is that our children will probably fit into this new society faster than we will. It will be impossible to “protect” them from every detail, from every new experience, but we must not be overly cautious, our children are not as fragile as they seem. I do not mean that we should not deal with the situation, but there is no use in worrying. The same recommendations, the same details that we know in our place of origin, will surely continue to be applied in our new home.

Our children will have new friends, learn a new language, play, argue, laugh and cry, just like they did before. And our best chance to get used to our new home and help our children will be to follow their own example.