Get ready for transition now. It’s going to happen. Acting now is the best way to stay strong throughout the year.

Have you ever chosen a word for the year? I’m still searching for my word for 2025. In the past, my annual word has helped me focus my time and my resources. It has even changed my thinking. One year, my word was generosity. I had so much fun being generous—paying for the order of the car behind me in a drive through, helping a friend with tasks they struggled to complete on their own, attending a friend’s sporting events.

About three quarters of the way through the year, I realized that it was easy for me to be generous to others, but it was difficult to direct that same generosity to myself. I had to work at changing that–so much so that I kept the word for 2 years.

The Global Nomad’s Inevitable

If you’re a TCK, if you’re rearing TCKs, if you’re an organizational caregiver—the word that is inevitable for you in 2025 is transition. If that elicited a moan, please don’t give up on this post! I would love to make the concept of transition more bearable for you.

No matter your role, transition is assured. High school seniors look forward to graduation and working or attending university. Parents look forward to the end of senioritis, but mourn the loss of their child’s presence. Younger students look forward to a home assignment and all the joys of a new place while dreading being the new kid again. Some know their only transitions are watching their friends leave for 6 months or longer and being expected to welcome new people. Caregivers face a whirlwind of hellos and goodbyes in a three month race of debriefing, orientation, and care.

The good news is you can prepare for all these transitions. The time to get ready for transition is now.  Are you ready for transition?

What can you do? (I’m so glad you asked)

Families

Start preparing your family now. Review Dave Pollock and Ruth VanReken’s seminal concept of RAFT (Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, Think Destination) and work together as a family to plan your collective and individual RAFTs. Revisit the plan regularly. Add to it. Celebrate when all or any of you carry out part of the plan. Make a big deal of these accomplishments.

RAFTing doesn’t have to be groan worthy. Here are a few practical things you can do to help you and your children with each step.

• Reconciliation
  • As a family learn the 5 Step Apology https://www.counselorkeri.com/2023/03/16/teach-kids-to-apologize/
  • Use the 5 steps with each other to get comfortable with them. Then start using them with others.
  • Everyone in the family should check in with each other regularly to see if there’s someone they need to apologize to AND offer to go with them for moral support
• Affirmation
  • Start making lists of people who are important to each person as well as to the whole family
    • Record the reasons each one is important—friendship, kindnesses, care, etc.
    • Brainstorm ideas of how to honor each person—a note, a photograph, a gift, a poem
      • Begin to create and gather them.
  • Use time now to make your own stationery (or wrapping paper?) for cards and gifts expressing affirmation
• Farewells
  • Teach the importance of saying good-bye
  • Read some good books on farewells like The Good Pie Party  and Good Bye House – even older children appreciate a good story
  • Make lists of the people, places, and possessions that will need special attention when saying good-bye
  • Decide how you will say good-bye to each
• Think Destination
  • Discuss the things each is looking forward to in the new place
    • People, places, possessions, of course, but also
    • Flavors
    • Sounds
    • Weather
    • Fragrances
    • Sights
  • Discuss all the things the new place won’t have. Use the categories above as a guide.
  • Ask everyone to name at least one thing they want to accomplish in the new place
  • Use Google Maps to find significant places you’ll visit
  • Make a vision board (physical or digital) for your time in your passport country/countries

High School Seniors

This year is so fun–and it can be so stressful. You can conquer it! Of course you need to do the things listed above. However, you don’t need to do them all at once. If you start now, it won’t be overwhelming. Will it be emotional and tiring?  I’m pretty sure it will be. It will also be wonderful.

Here are some tips for you as you prepare for transition:

• Start building your RAFT (see above) now.
• Bucket List all the things you want to do and see (besides finish school in good academic standing) before you graduate. Perhaps you can make a bucket list for yourself and one with your friends.
• Work with your parents/guardians to make sure you have all the right paperwork for college/university including the FAFSA if you’re American. KC360 has a lot of free as well as reasonably priced resources to help you on this journey.
• If you’re planning on a gap year, get it planned now. Being sucked into the video game vortex is not a gap year plan. If you need help planning, I know a Life Coach who can help. (Wink, wink).
• Keep up (or start) healthy habits in all aspects of your life. The more healthy habits you can maintain in transition, the easier it will be.
• Register for a cross-cultural transition seminar.  You can find a good one here—and here.

Caregivers

Summer–in the Northern hemisphere, the season of transition, is exhilarating and exhausting. Get ready for transition now!

• Get your program dates on everyone’s calendars now—as in yesterday.
• Confirm your team and their dates now.
  • Interns (if you have them)
    • Arrivals & orientation
    • Debriefing & departures
    • Housing
    • Expectations
    • Background checks & Child Safeguarding training
  • Childcare
    • Background checks & Child Safeguarding training
    • Space & supplies
  • Transportation if applicable
  • Outings
  • Special Events/traditions
• Schedule your own spiritual retreat this spring before the stress hits.
• Programs
  • Curriculum check–has anything changed in your organization that requires a change to your curriculum?
  • Supplies
  • Assignments
  • Permissions

Stayers

One of the hardest things about transition seems like the easiest to those who are going somewhere else. Staying might be less logistically stressful than leaving, but it has its own challenges.

Staying can mean being left behind. That’s something few relish. I talked to a 6th grader once who had a different best friend every year since pre-school. Being left behind so often led her to thoughts of never saying hello to a new person again. The pain of staying was real.

Stayers, I see you. The leavers get all the attention, but you should get the medals. Your tenacity and flexibility needs to be applauded.

Don’t think you have nothing to do in the midst of transition. While it’s not obvious at first, the transition is yours, too. Build your RAFT.  Make your bucket lists with those who are leaving as well as with those who are staying. Don’t be left in everyone else’s wake thinking you’re the leftover. This is a transition for you, too; treat it properly. You’ll be glad you took the time to get ready for transition.

Go for it!

The new year is still fresh and full of possibilities. You get to decide so much of it. Transition is going to be a part of it no matter what. You’re the CEO of your transition. Make it fire.

And maybe let the word rest before recycling it for another year.

 

Images created in Canva and Night Cafe Studio; edited in Canva.