Helping Teens Adjust

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make the move from Northern California to Edinburgh less traumatic for teenage boys?  They are not loving the idea of leaving their friends, of wearing a school uniform, of the weather, ANYTHING!  I know that, as teens, they won't be "happy" regardless of what I do or say, but any tips would be appreciated!

Allow them to mourn the change...it's healthy.  Help them to say goodbye to their friends and family in the US and figure out ways to stay connected.  But also ask them to think about how they'd like to decorate their rooms, what activities they would like to do - give them choices and options so that they feel like they have some control.

Maybe mention that the drinking age is lower?

My son moved the other way at age 14 (from UK to US) He'd spent a lot of holidays visiting my parents in the town we were moving to. But it was still hard for him. He took a lot of teasing at first ("you Brits lost the Revolution" - that type of thing) I encouraged him to do freshman "soccer" but he wouldn't because he didn't know anybody!  He made some good friends and even a girlfriend (whose dad was British) eventually. And did go out for soccer by his junior year. I think the academics was less stressful for him too.
After about a year away he went back to his old school on a visit and sat in some of the classes with his old mates (I don't think the school was best pleased though). He's still in touch with one friend from secondary school and a bunch of people from primary on FB.
So, I think it just takes time. Is there any way you can make any contacts with teens their age in Edinburgh? Do you know where they would go to school and what year(s) they would be in? Do they have any outside interests that you can try to connect to over there (e.g. sports)? It's tough but try to get them to look on it as an adventure.
Good luck!

Really good advice, thank you everyone

We have talked to them, a lot, about seeing this as an adventure.  And they have FB pages on which they can keep in touch with friends and family here.  We have also told them we'll be getting a nice flat screen PC they can Skype on.  I have explained to them that when I was their age and moved from the Midwest to the west coast, all we could was mail letters and photos!  We know what school they'll be attending, after deciding that sending them to the Catholic high school would be TOO much change.  They aren't into organized sports.  One is in to girls (God help me), the other likes to skateboard.  But their grandmother is still very active in the village and in her church, and most everyone within a 5 mile radius is aware that they are coming .  And we have plans to take them to several festivals, including Armed Forces Day. 

In some ways, they are looking forward to it, and they do understand that this is a wonderful opportunity.  And they are fully aware that they will be able to drink legally in just over a year .  Lucky for me, I have one that just doesn't like to drink.  But, again, the teen angst doesn't allow them to be less than sullen about it most of the time.  We will just need to be patient with them.  And if they truly hate it and never adjust, I guess they always have the option of moving back to the US after they graduate.  It will give me more reasons to come back and visit! 

I have a nephew in Stonehaven area (more north) who is 16 and all he does is skateboard and ride his bike.  There is a skate park so I am sure there is one down there - ya know typical boy stuff baggy jeans, big ol shoes and a skateboard and "hang out"

Good luck ;-)

I've done this to the UK and then to Canada with a teenage boy.  Both were difficult transitions but by the end of the first year, he found his feet and thrived.  We moved to the UK from  Southern California.   

In the UK (moved at 11, in middle school):  football saved him but he is extremely committed and passionate and played at a high level.  He is also very academic and so that helped him make some really good friends.  there seemed to be two paths where we lived:  one academic and non-drinking and the other non-academic and drinking (football seemed to land in this category).  Activities that DS and his friends did a lot of were movies, concerts, paintball and hanging out at ours or at friends' houses.  It was pretty simple to organize a group for paintball which was a great bonding experience for them.  This was much better than the other alternative which was hanging out in the Sainsbury's car-park getting snogged. 

He did go through some pretty rough teasing in the first year but he made it through.  It also helped to get him involved in school trips - he went to Iceland, Barcelona, the battlefields in France and Belgium and a few other small ones.  But I think what clinched it was sports and being a good athlete; because of that, he gained positive attention and even the bullies eventually got onside.  He also played badminton, ran cross-country and track.  Diversification seemed to work for him!  One of his strategies was to befriend the bullies.  How he did it, I don't know but whatever he did, it worked! 

Moving the other way to Canada, he was 16 and he spent the first 6 months mourning the loss of English football but something clicked in the last few months and he has found his place here.  I think the adjustment period this time was much harder than moving to the UK,  but he got over it much much more quickly.  He got to decorate his room how he wanted it (in Claret and Blue Aston Villa Colours ), hung the Union Jack, and he has his own laptop so he is in daily contact with his best mate and all his other friends on Facebook.   Thank God for social networking! 

What finally make it click for him was that he saw where he wanted to go and he is doing what he has to to get there. He also found a group of friends who are heading in the same direction.   For my DS, having a solid direction that he can see has been the most important thing. 

Oh and school uniform:  best thing ever. Even my kids agree!  We had a skateboard park in our neighbourhood - I don't know if Edinburgh has the equivalent.  I'm all for anything that keeps the kids occupied and away from just hanging about getting ripped. 

I didn't reply right away because my experience has been different in a couple of ways-- but thought I would share anyway.
I moved with my daughter who was 14- so here are the differences, obviously she is a girl and second of all she really was up for the move, and had no negative views about it in advance (odd i know).

Naturally even though she was up for it there were a couple of small things. The school uniform seemed fine, until she put it on the first time-- she then burst into tears. It was the day before the first day of school, I think it was combination of nerves and just feeling really strange wearing clothes like a tie-- that she had never worn in her life! It didn't take long at all before she was in love with the ease of having a uniform!
A tip on the uniform front-- get it before the first day, so they can arrive looking like others.

We also had a couple of temper tantrums over home work. While she is a very bright girl she found some things (maths) were taught in a different order, so sometimes she would be very behind and other times she would be way ahead. All I could do is support and help during the behind times, and remind her that she would soon catch up.

The biggest help for us was the careful choosing of a school-- they completely supported her and helped with the transition- she was able to develop a core group of friends quickly.

She is now 21 and will be graduating from Durham University in a few weeks, she is very well adjusted, and has grown and matured beyond my greatest hopes. I held my breath when she began looking at universities-- but she never considered going back to the states, England is her home-- she is very happy here.