Moving to the Island with Kids, a Beautiful Challenge

When we took the decision, my husband and I, to move to Bermuda, we were very excited. However, we were anxious to tell the changing situation to our 3-years-old son. How surprised we were to see that he could understand very well some concept, but being at the same time so confused emotionally. Feeling powerless, we were scared he could be hurt deeply. Turning towards children's books to illustrate more concretely what it meant to move to a new place, we never found one specifically about Bermuda to demonstrate what kind of life he could have here with his family. This is the reason I finally decided to do it myself.

This picture's book shows that, in addition to all beautiful places to visit and enjoy in Bermuda, there are also playgrounds, colorful houses and lots of new friends to make as well. Bermuda is also for them and they will be more than happy to live there!

While it should be a pleasure for all children to read, this book will be particularly helpful for children who are making a big move or have travel anxiety. Even more so, children who are moving countries and who will be immersed in an entirely new country or culture could benefit from such a book.

MAMA is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization that offers a variety of activities and allows families — especially mothers — to meet new friends. They run weekly playgroups for children, have support groups for parents and organized as well family activities as train rides, fire station tour, beach parties, boat excursion, farm trips, nature walks, picnics, etc. They also support the community by fundraising for different charities. MAMA has been very helpful during our transition, and I highly recommend this wonderful organization to all new families arriving in Bermuda.

 http://www.mamabermuda.com/ 

 ¨As a "brit", I've grown up to be polite and say ¨excuse me¨, then ask a question about product location in a shop. I learned my lesson fast here: you must always ask how the person is before you ask where to locate a product! Always say ¨good day¨ and ask how the person is before asking where to find a product! ¨

  - Zena

 ¨Don’t feel like you need to buy your baby and kid gear before you move to Bermuda. The second-hand market is very active here and you can find all sorts of gently used toys, clothes, and baby equipment on FB, Emoo or charity shops.¨

  - Élodie

 ¨Don’t be afraid to reach out and talk to people BEFORE you move to Bermuda. I wish I had done this as I would have got such a better insight before making the big leap and could have made some much better decisions in terms of what to bring! Moving to a small island is intimidating, especially if you are coming from a city background but as soon as you arrive you have to just throw yourself into the activities that are on offer. Even if you’re not sure if something is definitely for you – give it a try and chances are you will meet like-minded people who will have a wealth of advice for a new expat and who are more than up for coffee, playdates and sometimes even cocktails!¨

  - Charlotte 

 ¨I shouldn’t bring my ¨Uppababy Vista¨ stroller as it was too large to bring in buses or shops. I would recommend a more compact stroller of good quality that offers great solar protection.¨

  - Linda

¨If you have space in your suitcase left, bring lots of your kids’ favorite ¨dry snacks¨ because soon you will discover food items of any kind are very expensive.¨

  - Christine 

¨AOK fitness and Shamana Circle do fitness classes where you can bring you little ones along. AOK set up toys at the back of the classes. Shamana circle do baby and yoga classes plus have a creche that you can out your children in while you take a class. If kids are slightly older, Magnum gym on Church st. have a soft play in the gym so you can train whilst your kids are entertained.¨

  - Soraya

¨Bermuda is a very friendly place, don’t be afraid to get out there and make new friends. You will find that Bermuda is very social and there are lots of things to do for kids and families¨

- Rebekah

¨Must have in Bermuda, small closet dehumidifier that you can plug in your closet and they help keep the dampness out!¨

- Sandy

¨Be sure to put yourself out there and don't be shy! In no time at all you'll meet some wonderful friends who soon feel like family. Everyone remembers what it's like moving somewhere new and are often keen to lend a helping hand to help people settle. Accept the support and then pay it forward! ¨

- Stacey

¨When you move here, you have 6 months to bring your pre-existing belongings (things you’ve owned for more than 6 months). Once you arrive, you have to go through the “Goods to declare” lane in customs and get a special letter – you then can use this letter every time you want to claim transfer or residence! If you bring in new stuff, then you have to pay duty to bring it on to the island – they do on % depending on what the goods are.¨

- Sophie