The Foreign Service Journal, December 2008

82 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT One well-known transition model espoused by Pollack and Van Reken defines five phases. They are: involve- ment, leaving, chaos/crisis, entering and re-involvement. Awareness of these stages helps parents and schools respond appropriately. The goal is to guide our families through the transi- tion in a way that enhances each member’s resiliency. Five Phases of Transition Involvement is the stage when life is humming along, before a move. Everyone is used to their rou- tines and feeling well-adjusted. Re- involvement happens when, after a move, the family is once again back on track — feeling happy, in control of life. Kids will tell you they just want life to be “normal” again. It’s what happens in the middle of this cycle — the leaving, chaos/crisis/ and entering part — that is the great challenge! Leaving begins when the news of the next move is first announced; slowly the psychological separation from a post starts to take place. A family might have a year to go through this stage, or just a few months or weeks. As someone once told me, telling the family is like dropping a fishing line. You drop the info, keep it out there and, eventual- ly, the family takes it on board. Each member will process it in his or her Leaving begins when the news of the next move is first announced; slowly the psychological sepa- ration from a post starts to take place. Continued on page 88