The move to Morocco is going to be a dramatic culture change and lifestyle change. The country is rich in culture and diversity, yet at the same time is very conservative and traditional. Being an Arab country, you will have to act and dress in a certain way so as not to offend the locals.

Every family member will need to understand fully the implications associated with moving to live in Morocco, as the way of life will change and slow down dramatically. Things which may be acceptable in the UK will become frowned upon in Morocco and it is important that children especially understand how their actions will be received. The whole family must be 100% in favour of the move or the stress and resilience will get too much.

The official language of Morocco is standard Arabic, which comes with a whole new alphabet of lines and squiggles to learn! Anybody would find this daunting, though younger children will have a slight advantage as they will be cognitively quicker and picking up the language and learning process.

The education system in Morocco is not as advanced as in the UK, so it really must be something you think about a great deal, whether you are going to put your children into state education, or have them educated properly in a private school or international school. This will be much more expensive but will guarantee your child has a good education. Although there is compulsory education up to the age of 12, around 50% of the country is illiterate, and it has been this way for a long time.

Moving abroad can be a daunting experience, and even more so for children. The stress of moving away from everything they know and love, including friends, family and pets can take its toll and they may become easily upset, stroppy or never want to leave your sight! Have patience with your children and try to talk to them at least once a week about how they are feeling about things, if things have gotten worse or better, and whether they are enjoying themselves as time goes on.