Change, as a concept, is more often than not, an uncertain but necessary aspect in our lives. It happens, and we must adapt, one way or another. When you have a family, the concept takes on a whole new meaning and depth, because you are no longer the only one that needs to adapt to any given change- it’s something you have to do as a unit.
Raising children in general is a challenge on its own. But having to raise girls takes a somewhat different approach than it does to raising boys in most cases, and in different cultures, they have different norms in the process.
Add to that the challenge of having to move your teenage girls away from your norms, traditions and culture into a completely foreign and alien setup, and you have the test of a lifetime on your hands!
In this article in particular, we are going to tend to the concerns of parents having to move and raise their teenage girls into the UK and how to adapt to life as immigrants.
CLARITY & COMMUNICATION
The importance of being transparent at all times cannot be stressed enough when it comes to facing drastic changes for any family. It’s crucial that as your family makes its move into the UK, you teenage daughters know that they can come and talk to you about anything at all. It will be no easy feat to face issues that you are probably not used to confronting, especially if you’re coming from a culture that has completely different ethics and norms. As a parent, it is your job to quell your child’s insecurities and ensure and reiterate as often as possible that you, as a parent, and their home, no matter where they are in the world- is their refuge and safe place always.
SENSE OF SECURITY
A new move means a new home, and a lot of new things. This could possibly put a strain on your expenses, and your teenage girls will want to fit in, and in turn, will want to buy new clothes and such. It’s important that you always keep open lines of communication with wherever your funding is coming from back home, at least until you settle down. The great thing about the UK is that international money transfer is relatively easy and can be done quite efficiently and in no time whatsoever. The last thing you want to do is make your girls feel left out- and while this may break the bank initially, it will do wonders in helping them feel like they belong in a place that is new to them.
DON’T FORGET YOUR ROOTS
When moving to the UK or anywhere for that matter, it’s always important that you figure out a way to balance keeping your culture and traditions along with adapting to the new society that you have brought yourself and your teenage girls into. Girls are especially sensitive and are susceptible to dealing with identity crisis if there are too many extremes tugging at them. The way their friends and the society around them lives and the way the rules and traditions are at home can go any which way. They can either work harmoniously together, or it can be a disaster and your girls will probably go to one extreme or another, and you don’t want that. So make sure that you integrate your culture and tradition in a way that doesn’t create challenges for your girls when you’re settling in to your new life in the UK.
EVERYDAY IS A NEW ADVENTURE
If you put forward for yourself and your family that the new changes in your lives are only new adventures, then moving to the UK as an immigrant won’t have to be as challenging as you may think it is. You just need to find a balance between keeping your identity and adapting to your new surroundings. Make sure that your girls feel secure and that they can speak to you about anything, and be sure to help them become integrated in a way that they are accepting to change and adapting to their new surroundings.
We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.
