I can understand your stress about moving with a child. The good news is that you couldn’t have planned this better. The best time to move children where the impact of the move is the least is when they are under one year of age. That’s because their main concern is mom and dad. While there will be some stress, the real way they pick it up is through you. So keep yourself as relaxed and calm as possible. (I know, I know, but try. Babies do pick up on our signals). Don’t pack those most important things that give comfort to your daughter (her blankey or a stuffed animal), but bring them with you. Pack her crib at the last minute and she should be fine.

Since you will be changing caregivers, keep to a schedule such as the same feeding and play routines as well as the bedtime routines. Write those up so you and your husband adhere to those. Doing so will help her feel more secure.

The only red flag is that your daughter is at the age when usually separation anxiety creeps in. It’s normal and to be expected, but it is when she really will show a preference – usually mom – for a caregiver. She might cry or appear quite anxious when all those other relatives start making a fuss over her. Your best bet is to warn them all ahead to please go slowly and let your daughter warm up to them. Any one who is a parent will understand. Otherwise, you explain. Your daughter has plenty of time to get to know folks but right now too many folks making a fuss over her isn’t the right move.

Language should not be a problem. Just speak to her in the tongue you would like her most to speak. The early years of life are when children are most adaptable to languages – if we’d only teach foreign languages earlier!

As to jet lag, my only recommendation is a personal one. Whenever I flew when my kids were younger I’d try to get the flight that left late at night (midnight) and landed first thing in the morning. They’d sleep through the flight (heaven!) and wake up closer to their time zone. The worst flight was the one when they would fly all during the day and land during the day. Those flights took the most time to recover from and get them onto the new time zone. The other option is to gradually change her regular sleep schedule – which can take a few weeks – and put her down to bed later and later so she won’t be on quite so severe of a time zone change once she lands.

Hope all goes well, Mom. And welcome back to the United States!

Michele Borba

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Dr. Michele Borba is the author of No More Misbehavin': 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them .