Intercultural Success is responding to a growing need to include the whole family, not just the parents, in any workshop. Therefore the aim is to include children in a structured but enjoyable programme.

All the workshops run for children are tailored to the precise needs of each family. Each workshop is specifically tailored to the ages, backgrounds, interests and concerns of the children attending. There are too many issues and too many variations in families to standardise a programme.

All programmes have four main objectives:

·       To make the child feel included in the moving process

·       To provide information which will ease the transition

·       To clear up any possible areas of misunderstanding about their new home and environment 

·       To make the move fun

This third objective is particularly concerned with differences in what is or is not acceptable behaviour, as well as variations in the style of English used.  For example, it is acceptable and encouraged for a child to ask ‘why’ to an adult in some countries but is viewed as disrespectful in others.  It should be noted that although use of English is looked at, there is also a brief introduction to the destination country’s own language or languages.

The five most significant benefits are as follows:

·       The whole moving process seems to be starting and therefore the feeling of limbo or being in transition lessens.

·       The children start to think of the move from their parents’ point of view.  They seem to particularly appreciate the position of the accompanying spouse, usually the mother, in being more difficult than their own. 

·       The awareness that they are not alone is raised.  They meet people who are dealing with similar issues, and are introduced to Internet sites, which link expatriate families. 

·       The family are made aware of the need to separate the ups and downs of life from the ups and downs of living in a new country.  For example all children come out of school at least once and say ‘no-one played with me’, and all teenagers resent their parents.

·       The family are already in a better position to cope with their next move whether it is repatriation or to a further new country.