Medium-sized and large cities in Mexico tend to have private bilingual schools at all grade levels

You and your spouse have finally made the decision: You’re moving to Mexico. You’re sure your quality of life will be better there, and you’re eager to make the leap.

But wait! Did anybody ask the kids?

Moving abroad with children—whether it’s a short-term job assignment or a long-term lifestyle change—can be rewarding for both you and them. But it does take extra planning to take kids’ needs into account. Here are some pointers that can make the difference between a good transition and…well, one that none of you will look back on fondly.

Is moving to Mexico right for them?

First, before you commit yourself to a move, decide whether it’s right for your kids. The good news: Usually it will be. Children can resist moving to a new place because they don’t want to leave their friends and familiar environment. But they’ll make new friends—and learning a new language and culture will prove a huge advantage to them in the long run.

However, sometimes taking them isn’t the right choice. Here are a couple of factors to weigh:

1. Will their educations suffer?

If you have a teenager in high school nearing graduation, it’s probably better to move after he or she has graduated. (Or, if you must move, let your teen remain behind to graduate with friends.) For younger children, explore the options for educating them in Mexico.

You’ll need to send your kids to private school, so be sure to budget for this. Costs run about $100 a month per child and up.

Unless you’re in a small village, you should have little trouble finding a bilingual school. Mexicans are keen to expose their children to English from an early age. Medium-sized and large cities in Mexico therefore tend to have private bilingual schools at all grade levels.  Many cities have several schools to choose from.

Check the caliber of the teachers and the curriculum. Also, does the school help with getting foreign students up to speed in Spanish? If not, is there a good language school nearby to fill that gap?

If you can’t find a bilingual school for your smaller children, make sure they get plenty of English-speaking and  listening at home. They’ll pick up Spanish quickly and may soon prefer it to English, since they’ll want to fit in with their Mexican friends.

If you can find bilingual schools that are accredited in the U.S. and Canada, that’s great. But most aren’t, so don’t obsess over it. Instead, just focus on whether your children will get a good, well-rounded education at the school. When it’s time for college they can always take the entrance exam that foreign students take. They’ll probably ace it. And who knows? They may even decide to go to college in Mexico; there are numerous good Mexican universities.

2. Will they enjoy themselves?

They’ll probably adapt quickly to life in Mexico. But it helps to check in advance on what activities and peer groups may be available to them there. Are there many expatriates with children in your Mexico destination?  Will your kids have access to the activities they enjoy at home? Sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball are very popular in Mexico, for instance. Check whether their school has sports teams. Or what about dance classes, kayaking, or even retail therapy at the local mall? Middle-class Mexican children enjoy many of the same activities their U.S. and Canadian counterparts do. Taking part in familiar activities will provide continuity for your kids.

Preparing for the move to Mexico

Here are four areas to put on your “to do” list before you leave for Mexico.

1. Cover your children’s health care needs.

Make sure your children are up-to-date on medical exams and vaccinations. Mexico generally doesn’t require any additional vaccinations. If you have any doubts, though, check the Mexico travel section at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Get your children a full medical check-up before you leave permanently for Mexico, and get their medical records from their doctor to take with you. If a child takes prescription medicines, get extra refills to tide your child over the relocation. Check in advance to see whether these medicines, or acceptable generic substitutes, are available in Mexico. In many cases you’ll find that they are (and probably at lower prices).

2. Get your children’s school records.

Get your children’s school transcripts so that you can give them to their new school in Mexico. Check—before you leave your home country—to see if their Mexican school requires any other documents for enrollment. Getting that original birth certificate, for instance, is much easier to do before you leave than after.

3. Get them engaged with Mexico

If possible, get your kids enrolled in a Spanish class before you leave your home country (assuming they’re not already taking Spanish). It may help get them excited about the move—and will come in handy once they arrive in Mexico. Most likely they’ll already have visited their new home city. If not, try to arrange a trip before you move them there permanently. Buy them guidebooks and maps of the area so that they can get to know its history and layout. If children are small, try a picture book, globe, or pop-up map. If you already have a house picked out in Mexico, show them pictures of it—or better yet, take them there.

4. Set up communications

With Facebook, Twitter, international phone services, Skype and other ways to communicate globally, your children should have no trouble staying in touch with both old and new friends. However, you may want to make sure that grandparents or other older relatives have easy ways to get in touch with you and their grandchildren. If they’re already online (many seniors are), install Skype or a similar service on their computer. Alternatively, have them change their telephone plan to include low-cost calls to Mexico.

Internet connections and phone lines are generally good to excellent in Mexico, so you should have no trouble getting these set up at your end.

Regardless of how much preparing you do, you’re sure to forget something. And somehow it will all work out. Chances are, you and your children will settle into your new life in Mexico just fine.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Mexico and other countries in our daily postcard e-letter. Simply sign up for IL’s free daily postcards and we’ll send you a free special report – Why Millions of Americans Are Moving to Mexico.