Tips For Sending Children To Study Abroad – Part 2

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

It’s important to realize that a communication plan may need to be altered once our children have settled into a routine when studying abroad. Beside an international cell phone, a lot of popular, free applications for communicating long distance can be used to keep track of and get in touch with our children in a foreign country, such as:Studying Abroad

  • Skype is a life-saver. This free and easy-to-download application lets you make calls to other accounts for free. Calling landlines and mobiles is low-cost, and you can easily reload minutes to your Skype account. Video calls are another great perk. This is a great way to keep in touch!
  • WhatsApp. This free smartphone application lets you send messages to other phones that also use this application. WhatsApp works internationally, and with no SMS fees, it’s a great option if you plan on this free and easy-to-download application which lets you make calls to other accounts for free.
  • Facebook. If you’ve already joined thousands of other parents embarrassing their kids on Facebook every day, you can utilize the chat function to quickly touch base with your child. Consider downloading the “Facebook Messenger App” to ease this process even more.
  • Line. This free and easy-to-download application lets you send text messages and make calls audio/video calls to other  accounts for free.

Communication can reduce homesickness and can make it feel as if we are with our children although they are not besides us. It can also make it easier for us to address some of the problems that our children may be facing while away. A set of emergency contacts should be organized and accessible at all times, including contacts from the school and the supervisor of the school’s program. More tips for a successful learning experience abroad are:

  • Teaching our children responsible ways with which to handle his or her finances is crucial and can begin even before departure. Like how to manage money on his or her own before departing, putting a limit on spending and avoiding the loss of money. Teach your children to take money out of the ATM a little at a time.
  • Discuss financial, social and academic responsibility with our children. Encourage your student to resolve his or her own issues while abroad and step in only when necessary. Let our children discuss every problem they face and let them know that we trust them to make the right decisions.
  • As a Muslim, halal food is a major concern. Although one of the most interesting differences between countries is the cuisine, we want to make sure that our children eat well and halal while overseas.
  • Ask friends who have already lived there or who had previously lived where our children studying where we can buy halal food. Freshly cooked foods are the best bet because they are less likely to contain contaminants. Don’t forget to tell them to check the expiration date when buying ready-to-eat food.
  • Keep our children safe when studying abroad by advising them to take care of themselves, to pray and to recite du’a and dzikir in the morning and afternoon. Tell them to avoid political demonstrations, to only take official taxis and to protect their passport at all times.
  • Visit your children after they are abroad to check on their needs and to ensure that quality standards for studying and in their residence are fulfilled.

May Allah Subhanallah wa Ta’ala protect our children wherever they are and keep them safe.  I hope our children succeed in their study and their education. Allahumma Aamiin.

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