You asked:
“How can I provide an easy transition for my three young kids (13-11-9)?”
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As a person who did have to transition to a school in a foreign country (twice I should say) in my high school years, I think you are spot on about how young kids (haole) have to look at the transition here. It is no secret, Hawaii has a very regulated and managed social strata in which if you are Haole – either adult or child – you immediately have to do double work to gain the respect of everyone else upon arrival. Now if the parents of the child are taking jobs that are more high on position, than they might be sheltered a bit because as you know the Ali’i of Hawaii (or Taipan’s or however you want to call that group) have their own social groupings that keep to themselves from everyone else.
But if they are coming over and the parents are taking “general” work – construction, clerks, middle management, they will need to learn how to be observant and navigate even more carefully than if, say, a Chinese or Japanese from the mainland were to come to Hawaii and live here.
Mahalo Stan for really helping flesh out this issue. Much appreciated!
Mahalos for being HONEST that it will be difficult.
Perhaps your readers can also get tips from the myriad of Hawai’i sites on facebook :) :)
Good vid on transitioning kids to Hawaii.